Al-Saqr Sport Club on the threshold of the Asian Football League Trophy:Success story & headway struggle achieved [Archives:2007/1022/Reportage]
February 5 2007
 |
 |
Taiz Bureau Chief
Yemen Times
Preparations have been currently underway by the Al-Saqr Sport Club to participate next March in the Asian Football League Trophy championship.
Al-Saqr Sport Club is to participate in the Asian Football League after the club managed to clench the title of 2005-2006.
To prepare for championship will not be easy, constant preparations and concerted efforts will be required by all involved to stand a chance. Al-Saqr success is attributed to the stable and wise leadership of the clubs chairperson Shawqi Ahmed Hayel.
Its Inceptions
The club was first founded in 1974. His Excellency, President Ali Abullah Saleh, was one of the forerunners to join the Al-Saqr Sport Club and an honorary figure from its inception. Since its inception, different leaders and personalities have chaired the club.
At present, the club has become a local football record-holder among the Taiz-based sport clubs. The unprecedented turnout of thousands of spectators at a nationwide level is a major factor in the success of the club.
“When we have started achieving our dreams, we strongly believe that those dreams emerge from an inbuilt tendency within the club which is of paramount importance under the effect of huge developments and dramatic transitions of sports witnessed by our world,” Mr. Shawqi remarked.
Following the club's resounding victory, Mr. Shawqi has expressed his deep gratitude and appreciation for the public support in all phases of its progress.
He highly spoke further of efforts made by the club's administrative sport personnel, namely, Mr. Riadh Abduljabbar Al-Herwy, the Vice Chairman of the Al-Saqr Sport Club who is considered as a midfield dynamo behind the club' victory as well as efforts made by the football players.
In its recent football tournament championship – 2005-2006, the Al-Saqr Sport Club participated in 25 matches. Out of those matches, the team won 16, drew in two meetings and lost two.
Aspirations
When asked of what accomplishments and aspirations the Al-Saqr Sport Club has been seeking to achieve. Mr. Shawqi further said: “We have been seeking to build a football team for future and we will concentrate on the upcoming tournament season on qualifying youth football players. There is also an idea to found a school for football training that will be a supportive factor for our and other sport clubs in the governorate. Our main goal is to attain more championships at both Arab and international levels and to boost Yemen's participation in those championships. Currently, we have been proceeding to go ahead with recruitment procedures of the available football players and complete other remaining sport centers,” he concluded.
Highly Developed Infrastructure
One of the main constituents of the club's success and distinction is its possession of a very strong basic sport-related infrastructure implemented by Mr. Shawqi Ahmed Hayel.
The club's sport facilities include the following:
1. Grass-covered football playing field that has been reconstructed according to sophisticated geometric designs and a grandstand for about 3000 spectators. It has been also fully equipped with electricity posts; a wall enclosed the playground and waterfall drainage channels. Its rehabilitation has a major role in promoting performance level of the football team
2. Another playable playground for youths has been expanded and fully equipped and completed. A grandstand has been also added.
3. Football playground for teenagers. This playground has been readily made accessible to teenagers as a result of the high turnout to join the club. The playground is suitable for those teenagers to get enough but comfortable sport training.
4. A Closed Hall which is considered to be one of the most important sport facilities for performing different official championships, hosting a number of sport activities and training the clubs' teams such as, volleyball, basketball, and table tennis, boxing and self-defense classes.
5. Gymnastics Hall for youths and teenagers which is newly built and fully equipped with modern sport equipment where different gymnasts have greatly made use of those exercises.
6. A Billiard Hall equipped with two tables played by the club's members and its staff
7. A Tennis/volleyball court and tennis playing field for the club's players and members to enjoy their hobbies.
8. A Hostel suitably equipped for beneficiaries and allotted for resident players or those who come from other cities. A part of it is also allotted for receiving sport teams that visit the club
In addition to this, the club has a number of investment and logistic facilities. Seven rented stores have been built to support the club materially, together with other projects underway.
The club's management has been seeking to improve logistic arrangements such as, roads, gardens, a library equipped with visual aids/arts and a hall that service the club's members and its visitors.
Special support
The success made by its well-run management is attributed to the support offered by the private sector companies affiliated to the Hayel Saeed Ana'am Group of Companies, (HSA) that have proven track records in making giant strides and successes. That support has greatly contributed to provide the necessary financial stability to lead its sport activities towards championship.
The club is in need of much support to continue its accomplishments at both levels local and international particularly on the threshold of club's participation championship which is due to be inaugurated during the upcoming March.
In its prospective football participation representing Yemen, the club's support shouldn't be restricted only to the HSA Group of Companies, but it should then extend other domestic private companies to sponsor its matches.
Call for sponsorship
Mass Advertising & Art Production Company has a concession to organize and sponsor the club's football match championship through its promotional campaigns launched to market and propagate products of the private sector companies belong to the HSA.
But there is a question which poses itself here, has the club's sponsorship become exclusive just to the HSA Group of Companies. “Sponsoring and supporting the club's different sport activities is not exclusive to the HSA Group of Companies. All other private sector companies can also participate to support the club's different sport activities through marketing and propaganda,” Mr. Shawqi al-Haqemi, the General Manager of the Mass Advertising & Art Production responded.
“On our parts and in order to be outclassed at both Arab as well as international levels, we thus call businessmen and other private companies for sponsoring the club's sport activities and offering what they could do to promote its performance and restore Yemen's confidence in football championship matches as befitted its status. The Al-Saqr participation in the Arab Club Championship is a significant occasion to offer support and sponsorship.
We hence reiterate that sponsoring the club's championship is not restricted to the HSA Group of Companies, other private sector companies can also take part and offer support to the club,”, he concluded.
——
[archive-e:1022-v:14-y:2007-d:2007-02-05-p:report]
