KUWAIT: Chairman of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), the First Deputy of FIFA President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa on Sunday lauded the gracious sponsorship by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah of the Arabian Gulf Cup tournament (Khaleeji Zain 26).

His Highness the Amir’s sponsorship of the championship is an honoring for “the Gulf sport family and an affirmation of His Highness care for the sports movement in general and football in particular,” said Sheikh Salman in a statement on the heels of his attendance of the tournament inauguration at Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium.

The Gulf cup competitions have contributed to boosting skills of the GCC countries’ teams and enabling them to compete at the regional and continental levels, he said.

Meanwhile, Kuwait’s organization of this important sporting event is a source of great pride for the country’s leadership and people, appreciating the patronage of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah of the tournament, Minister of Information and Culture and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi said in a joint statement to Kuwait TV and Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) after the meeting.

Minister Al-Mutairi stressed that the GCC’s General Secretariat, led by Jasem Al-Budaiwi, is playing a major role in strengthening joint Gulf action in various fields and organizing more activities aimed at developing Gulf youth. For his part, Al-Budaiwi in a similar statement praised the distinguished organization of the tournament, the dazzling opening ceremony that expressed a unified Gulf vision towards a bright future. — KUNA