The Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority’s (RAKTDA) partnership with The Football Academy (TFA) brought coaches from the ‘Clube de Regatas do Flamengo’ in Brazil to the Emirate last weekend for a special training camp.  The training, which was held at the Al Jazeera Football Club, was part of an ongoing drive to help the next generation of footballers in Ras Al Khaimah develop their skills. 

Local footballers were put through a rigorous two-day ‘Samba Style Soccer’ training by the Brazilian coaches, alongside talks on the theory that will help the players hone their skills both on and off the field. 

Coach Kadu Borges, Technical Co-coordinator at Clube de Regatas do Flamengo said: “We were surprised and impressed by the local footballing talent in Ras Al Khaimah and believe this collaboration will not only help hone the skills of the footballers in the emirate but enable them to realise their potential on regional and even an international level.  It was also great to experience the diversity of destination Ras Al Khaimah and we appreciate the hospitality RAKTDA and TFA extended to us. We look forward to extending the collaboration in the future.”

The RAKTDA and TFA collaboration helps support the ambitions of the UAE’s youth, as well as highlight the state-of-the-art sporting facilities available in Ras Al Khaimah

Haitham Mattar, Chief Executive Officer at RAKTDA said: “RAKTDA’s partnership with TFA has a proven track record of successful collaborations with various football academies around the world and we are delighted to host world class coaches that support our commitment to foster local talents and support UAE’s youth.”

Mattar further added, “RAKTDA is a strong supporter of sports and sporting events in the Emirate and with state-of-the-art grounds like the Emirates Club Stadium, home of the Emirates Club, we have the facilities to inspire sporting success.  We also continue to invest in the development of our adventure activities, including the via ferrata experience, trekking and mountain biking and the soon to open world’s longest zipline on Jebel Jais.”

RAKTDA initiated a partnership with TFA in early 2017, sponsoring the youth team jersey and supporting the squad with various initiatives throughout the year.

Ali El Jishi, Head Coach at The Football Academy (TFA) said: “We organise two camps a year where TFA invites the best coaches from around the world to be part of our world-class football program and these collaborations prove very fruitful in the long run both for the players and the Academy.

Sports tourism is key to RAKTDA ‘Destination 2019’ strategy and in addition to the partnership with TFA, the organisation will continue to develop this offer in 2018 with the opening of the world’s longest zipline in Jebel Jais and a range of international sporting events. 

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