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The Syrian Football Association (SFA) joined hands with the Syrian Ministry of Education to organise several tournaments in the capital city in October for children and youth ranging from 12 to 17 years of age.
The activities kicked off with an Under-15 tournament on October 12 where 40 players were divided into four teams of 10 players each. The teams played six matches under a one-legged league format, and the SFA officials who supervised the tournament were highly appreciative of the technical quality and skill that was presented by the players.
Similarly, an Under-12 tournament was organised on October 18 which saw 110 young girls being divided into 11 teams of 10 players who competed in 13 matches.
The tournament was the first of its kind for its age group in the region, and following the success of high participation and enthusiasm from the children, it has now been included in the calendar for school tournaments in Damascus.
On the same day, the SFA organised another breakthrough tournament with students from several schools including one for orphans.
The five teams, each with 12 players, participated in five matches in a knock-out format. The tournament was deemed to be a success story and as a result, has now found a place in the Ministry of Education’s calendar and will be hosted regularly by the SFA’s Grassroots Division.
Finally, on October 25, the Syrian FA hosted a tournament for girls in the U-17 category where players earned high praises from the SFA’s officials. With four participating teams, each with 12 players, the tournament was played in the format of a one-leg league consisting of six matches.
In view of the success of the pilot edition, the SFA is looking to make room for more youth tournaments with the intention of increasing participation as well as maximising the potential to identify talented youth footballers, thereby upholding the AFC’s mission of providing everyone with the opportunity to play the sport.
“We believe that the key to unlocking Syria’s potential on the football field is through paying attention to the children in the grassroots and elite youth systems. A major stepping stone in this process was our collaboration with the Ministry of Education which will allow us to provide our technical expertise and supervise all school tournaments,” said General Secretary and Acting Technical Director, Muhannad Al Fakeer.
