Sharjah American School has emerged the firm favourites for the top honours in the month-long inter-school Pepsi Sport Fiesta, currently taking place at Global Village in Dubai.
Returning for the third consecutive year, the Pepsi Sport Fiesta has seen Sharjah American School beat all expectations, with both its girls and boys basketball teams making it through to the semi-finals. In the quarter final match for boys’, the school overpowered opponents Dubai Karmel 20-0, with its star player Roman Victor scoring the highest number of points for the winning team.
“Last year, we won the boys’ basketball finals in the junior category against Dubai International School and we hope to retain our championship title,” said Abdul Kareem, Sharjah American School’s basketball coach. “The competition is fierce this year with very strong teams contending and we are looking forward to some great games leading up to the finals.”
Safia Alquorashiyah School, newcomers to the Pepsi Sport Fiesta, defeated Al Maarefah Private School. The team will now compete against Sharjah American School in the basketball girls’ semi-finals to be held on January 17 at the Global Village. The match should prove exciting as they will have to contend with Sharjah American’s star player Marina Atellah.
In the Senior Football championships, Ittihad Jumeirah School beat Dubai International School, Garhoud 5-0.
In collaboration with the UAE Schools Federation, the Pepsi Sport Fiesta basketball and football school tournaments feature 40 teams from various UAE intermediate and high schools. Next week will see the start of the junior and senior cricket tournaments. Registration for Pepsi Power ball and Slam Jam is open to children of different age groups and will start on January 19.
“This time, the games are far more competitive compared to last year. We have received an overwhelming response and the level of enthusiasm is increasing as we draw to the close of the tournament,” said May El-Labban, Key Accounts Manager, Sales and Marketing, Dubai Refreshments Company (DRC), the sole franchisee and distributor of PepsiCo products in Dubai and Northern Emirates.
El-Labban added: “In addition, such competitions have given UAE clubs an opportunity to choose among the best talent from various schools, which further encourages them to nurture the sporting skills of their pupils.”
With ongoing competitions for visitors on the basketball court, Dubai Refreshments Company (DRC) offers opportunities for all to win additional prizes that include MP3 players, mountain bikes, creative DVD, and gift vouchers from Wild Wadi throughout the Pepsi Sport Fiesta. More information can be found at the official website www.pepsisportfiesta.com.
For close to half a century, DRC has supported the initiatives launched by the Government of Dubai that have helped firmly establish the emirate as one of the most exciting destinations in the world.
The Pepsi Sports Fiesta is sponsored by Wild Wadi and ETRI.
