Japanese Delegation Enjoys an Extraordinary Experience in Al Ain Academy
The under 17 Japanese Shonan Bellmare and Al Ain teams had an extraordinary experience during the cohabitation period spent at Al Ain Football Academy. During such cohabitation, joint exercises between Al Ain and Shonan teams were conducted in addition to the tour organized by Al Ain FC Academy sector for the guests, in which the Japanese delegation visited Al Ain most prominent landmarks, including Hazza bin Zayed Stadium that was granted the world best stadium title for 2014. The Japanese team wrapped up its program in Al Ain with a friendly match that ended with 3-1 win over its Ainawai counterpart.
H.E. Sultan Rashid, Board Member at Al Ain Football Company and Football Academy General Supervisor, expressed his deep appreciation to Abu Dhabi Sports Council for its cooperation that contributed to the success of such important experience for both Al Ain and the Japanese younger teams. The desired objectives of such experience were achieved with regard to experience exchange through joint work of technical and administrative departments. He explained that the close contact of the Emirati and Japanese players during the cohabitation at such age group embodies wonderful professional concepts represented in identifying the work mechanism adopted by both academies and showing the spirit of challenge in competition through commitment to the technical and administrative instructions.
He added, “I think both teams had achieved the desired outcomes through such cohabitation program that continued for two days. Al Ain Academy players had identified the mentality of their Japanese counterparts at such important age group. We, in turn, are keen to reflect – through such event – the values of sport, adopted by Al Ain FC and gained from the heritage of the land of goodness, to the guests through the position of each of us. This is due to the fact that football is no longer just a game, but also a main platform for principle and value upholding, community service and delivery of real concepts through offering humanitarian messages; it is the world first popular game.”
He continued, “We always look for exchanging experiences and have a close contact with various academies. Definitely, there are several benefits gained by all of those who had such experience, especially that Al Ain FC has the high potentials and sports facilities comparable to the greatest ones all over the world. Throughout the past days, we had a European tour in which we got acquainted with the work mechanism in many of the European academies, including Atletico Madrid FC and Valencia club academies in Spain, for the purpose of concluding new partnerships and developing the current ones”.
Commenting on the speech of the Japanese team coach on Al Ain FC facilities, H.E. Sultan said, “Undoubtedly, these achievements were realized due to the vision of the club leadership and the Sheikhs’ patronage of Al Ain FC as well as the successful strategy laid down by HH Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, First Deputy Chairman of Al Ain Club and the Honorary Council and Chairman of Al Ain Sports and Cultural Club. Such strategy made a difference in this lofty sports body. This reinforces our responsibilities for coping with the current developments in order to achieve the desired objectives in consistence with the leadership vision. We always seek to have a position amongest the best professional clubs at all levels”.
Tokisaki: Al Ain has Extraordinary Capabilities
The Japanese coach of Shonan Bellmare under 17 team, Tokisaki, expressed his admiration of the enormous capabilities available to Al Ain FC, which – he thinks – are not available to any Japanese football club. This boosted our desire to work on benefitting from the environment provided for the Academy players as necessary during the joint exercises of the players of both clubs.
He continued, “Before arriving in UAE, we were pretty aware that we will be hosted by one of the most prominent clubs in Asia, but what we have witnessed exceeds our imaginations and we were surprised by the facilities and capabilities that we witnessed in reality. We had a great impression that boosted our desire to revisit Al Ain, which we have recommended to be included among the strategic plans of the younger teams’ camps in the following years.
He added, “We have come up with a range of advantages throughout the period of cohabitation spent at Al Ain FC Academy. In fact, we have not found any remarkable differences in the training techniques aspects, represented in the coaching staff work method of both clubs during the exercises and theoretical lectures as well as player qualification at such age group. The differences, if any, are in the physique of the Emirati and Japanese player; the former is distinguished by being taller besides their technical skill, while the latter works on making up such difference through promoting the physical strength and developing the technical aspects through intensive exercises”.
He added, “I think that UAE football development and achievement of the elites level among the best Asian clubs and teams are a natural result of the work actually witnessed in Al Ain FC Academy that adopts the best practices for the qualification and development of professional football players”.
Abdullah Ali: A Useful Experience
Abdullah Ali, Al Ain FC Academy Administrative Supervisor, commended the distinguished efforts continuously exerted by Abu Dhabi Sports Council to promote the capabilities of the capital clubs. He explained, “the period of cohabitation between under 17 teams of Al Ain and Shonan Bellmare clubs witnessed joint exercises where the coaching staff of both teams interchangeably supervised the exercises in a distinguished experience that provided great benefits for all; this was represented in experience and culture exchange”.
He continued, “Certainly, football in the continent’s eastern side compared to the western side is different. I think that the phenomenon of Japanese, South Korean and Chinese players’ professionalism in Europe is due to the player’s commitment and abidance by the professional football player’s important practices. Such practices include timeliness, commitment to a healthy diet and doubling their efforts to achieve the highest levels of excellence. Therefore, I think that the benefits achieved by both teams through such experience are significant”.
