With the support of His Excellency Dr. Ahmed Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Education, Chairman of the General Sports Authority, President of the UAE School and University Sports Federation, and follow-up from His Excellency Sheikh Suhail bin Butti Al Maktoum, Executive Director of the Sports Development Sector at the General Sports Authority and Secretary General of the Federation, Mr. Ali Masri Al Dhaheri, Executive Director of the Federation, inaugurated the first school tournament in football organized by the   Sharjah schools and 288 students.
Mr. Ali Massari welcomed the attendees, noting the fruitful and constructive cooperation between the Federation and all sectors of civil society, which ultimately serves the interest of school and university sports, and stressed the importance of sports and extracurricular activities as an important and effective part of the educational system, no less important than the academic aspect.
Dr. Mohammed Fouad Khan, representative of Medcare Hospital Sharjah, also spoke, stressing that the hospital is interested in cooperating with the educational sector, both school and university, because it is the most important sector in society, which makes future leaders of the nation, and Ian Campbell, Director of Mantena American School in Sharjah, which hosted the event, welcomed the attendees and wished them a successful tournament and stressed that the most important thing in this tournament is the meeting of students from all schools and nationalities to get acquainted, rapprochement and exchange of experiences among them.
Al Noor International School qualified for the quarter-finals after beating Ibn Khaldoun Private School with six clean goals, Mantena American School qualified after defeating Beacon House International School 2-1 on penalties, and Emirates National School qualified after beating Khorfakkan Private School with eight clean goals. GEMS Millennium School qualified after beating Rayan International School with five clean goals, Sharjah American International School qualified after defeating Talents International School with six clean goals, and Al Masar Private School qualified after beating Victoria English School with a goal to nothing, and the last qualifier was the American School for Creative Sciences after winning on penalties against Manarat Sharjah School 2-1.
The quarter-finals, the third and fourth places and the final will be held on March 11 and 12, God willing, at SABIS International School in Sharjah.