SME-Written by/ Mohammed Al-Joker
A quick look from the seventies to the present day will show that there is a clear development and progress in sports management thought, and football and the Gulf Cup that was launched in Manama in 1970 played a major role in this development, as it was a gateway to positive influence on the people of the region, as the people of the Gulf learned, and became experts and professors in the world of sports, and the blessing is in the “mother of tournaments” the Gulf Cup, as sports have become a real industry in all its aspects, and therefore we need to benefit from the accumulated administrative experiences, and share and attend them to educate, and transfer their experiences to future generations.
The Gulf Cup Federation’s move to commemorate the old stars who served Gulf football throughout its long history is a wonderful gesture of loyalty. We express our happiness at holding the Gulf Veterans Championship in Kuwait, after its name was changed from Legends to Veterans, in loyalty to this generation. The championship will undoubtedly be successful, as it contributes to strengthening communication between the past and the present, and motivates the players of the current generation to give and sacrifice when they see the great attention that the former stars receive from the national federations and the Gulf Federation, which has adopted it as an official championship. We see that the Arabian Gulf Cup Federation is moving in the right direction by expanding the scope of tournaments, and not being satisfied with the Gulf Cup only, which contributes to the development of Gulf football and enhancing its position as well, just as the mother tournament contributed to the development of infrastructure and sports facilities in the region. The interest of the Gulf federations in preparing the teams for the Loyalty Tournament reflects the great appreciation for those who have given a lot to football in their countries. The new football wedding will coincide with Kuwait’s celebrations in February, which are dear holidays to us all, and the football occasion will witness beautiful and exciting competitions between former stars, who still retain their skills and distinctive touches, which will provide the fans with wonderful football memories, especially for the generations that did not witness these stars on the fields. My call is for the tournament to continue according to the correct vision of the Arabian Gulf Cup Federation, headed by His Excellency Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the man behind the success of all the ideas that serve our Gulf football reality. And God is behind the intention.
