Claudio Maalouf, left, and Lukney Nascimento were among the winners at  the Nike sponsored try-out for teenagers.
Claudio Maalouf, left, and Lukney Nascimento were among the winners at the Nike sponsored try-out for teenagers.

Abu Dhabi 17-year-old picked to train with Juventus



DUBAI // When Mohammed Motasem heard his named called late on Wednesday night, he could hardly contain his excitement. The 17-year-old had just been picked, with four others, to travel to Italy for a week of intensive football training with Juventus FC. "I just cannot believe it! I didn't think I would hear my name being called out," said Mohammed, a Jordanian who has lived in Abu Dhabi for 10 years. "This will be my first time to Europe. My dream is to play with my favourite team, Real Madrid."

For the past week, hundreds of hopeful teenage boys, mostly Arab expatriates, have been training from 7.30pm until 9pm at the floodlit Al Nasr Sports Club with Tommy Wingrove, a British football coach. The initial group of 249 was first whittled down over five days to 16. Five were picked for the Juventus training camp and, as a surprise, a sixth player was chosen to spend a day visiting Barcelona FC in Spain.

Matt King, 17, a Briton, and Lukney Nascimento, 17, an Angolan, will join Mohammed in Italy, along with Alaa Mezher, 17, and Claudio Maalouf, 16, both from Lebanon. Abdullah Alashqar, 19, a Jordanian expatriate studying at Sharjah University, is headed to Barcelona in mid-April. The camp is the second of its kind in the Middle East, set up by Nike to support local talent and give opportunities to teenagers. "This programme provides expatriate players who don't get opportunities in local clubs to be involved in an elite club, where they can step up to another level," said Mr Wingrove, who has been coaching notable youth teams for seven years. He has coached at the Manchester United Soccer School in Dubai the past two years.

The Nike programme was free and since its first session in October, the number of participants has more than doubled. Last year 100 boys registered. The marketing manager of Nike Middle East, Sahar Elguindy, hopes similar projects will follow. "Everyone who comes, even if they don't get through, loves the experience." @Email:asafdar@thenational.ae

The National in Davos

We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.

COMPANY PROFILE

Company: Bidzi

● Started: 2024

● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid

● Based: Dubai, UAE

● Industry: M&A

● Funding size: Bootstrapped

● No of employees: Nine

Panipat

Director Ashutosh Gowariker

Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment

Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman

Rating 3 /stars

Business Insights
  • As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses. 
  • SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income. 
  • Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
If you go

The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.