SME – Written by: Mohammed Al-Joker
Each of us has a team that we love and are attached to. This is something that is available and permissible to everyone, because we are human beings who have the right to be happy and sad. In our sister country, Saudi Arabia, I have fond memories throughout my modest history in journalism, and I have a long-standing love affair with Al-Ahli Jeddah Club, a fortress of championships.
The day before yesterday, I watched the semi-final of the AFC Elite Club Cup, which brought together Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal. Al-Hilal qualified for the final for the third time after a great match. Al-Ahli was different, and so was Jeddah, whose fans chanted “Keda Keda Keda Yemshi.” The match was fantastic. I sympathized with my favorite team, Al-Ahli Jeddah, as they mercifully defeated the giants, Al-Hilal, 3-1. Returning to my favorite club in the Kingdom, the club houses the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Center, which is dedicated to the youth teams. It also has its own museum, which chronicles the club’s history, a large portion of which is dedicated to the team’s achievements and the championships it has won. It also features tapes of the team’s historic matches against the Brazilian national team in 1982, which included Samba stars Socrates, Zico, Eder, and Falcao, among other distinguished players. The team also faces a number of European teams, and the retirement ceremonies for which the club is famous. There are also tapes of the club’s golden jubilee celebrations, which saw the participation of some of the world’s most prominent football players, led by Argentine Maradona. A part of the museum has been dedicated to the club’s various sports, which it is one of the clubs most interested in. How wonderful this is, and how I hope to see our clubs think in this direction, by establishing a sports museum that contains the club’s history. This idea has been proposed in our clubs, but it is just talk and a “wish”, so will we see it come true? And God is behind the intention.
