After weeks of fierce competition the Pepsi Sport Fiesta school football and basketball tournament concluded with six teams emerging victorious at the Dubai Global Village.
In this year’s senior boy’s football tournament, the Institute of Applied Technology became champions winning 5-4 against Dubai International School after a tense penalty shootout. Ahlieh Khayrieh school won 1-0 in the junior category against Sharjah American School.
For team playing and scoring skills, Adnan Badr of Ahlieh Khayrieh School and Adel Badr from Sharjah American School were awarded ‘Player of the Tournament’ in the senior and junior category respectively.
In the boy’s basketball tournament, the Institute of Applied Technology managed to slam dunk their way to glory, winning in the senior group category, against Sharjah American School 37-25. However in the junior’s category Sharjah American School’s young players were able to claim a clear victory over Dubai International School winning 27-10.
“It is great encouragement for our young players to have won the junior basketball tournament,” said Abdul Kareem, Sharjah American School’s coach. Although we just missed out on winning the finals in the other tournament categories, next year we will be back to retain our title.”
In the basketball tournament, Sami Alsahn from Ahliah Khayriah School won the award for Most Valuable Player of the tournament in the senior group, while Victor Roman of Sharjah American School was awarded in the junior category.
The girl’s teams also showed off their basketball skills with Dubai International School’s victory 25-13 against Andalus Private School. However, Andalus Private School did show great skill as Ghida Amouni claimed the award for Most Valuable Player of the girl’s tournament.
Double luck was with the Institute of Applied Technology as they won both raffle draws making them proud owners of two Chevrolet Spark cars courtesy of General Motors. The third car was awarded to Westminster School who won the Pepsi Sports Fiesta Howzaat Cricket Tournament against Cambridge International, earlier last week.
“This is our first time participating in the Pepsi Sport Fiesta and we are overjoyed to win both the senior basketball and football tournaments. I would like to thank Dubai Refreshments, Chevrolet, all the teams that participated and everyone who worked to make this tournament a success. We look forward to returning next year to defend our title” said Dr. Samer Abdulla Rizk, one of coaches for the Institute of Applied Technology.
The Pepsi Sport Fiesta basketball and football school tournaments featured 54 teams from various UAE intermediate and high schools.
“Over the last two months, over two thousand players participated in tournaments and we have seen some exceptional sporting talent. The Pepsi Sport Fiesta is just one of the great events we bring to the UAE and Pepsi fans can look forward to a great entertainment and sporting line up in 2006,” said May El-Labban, Marketing Projects Manager, Dubai Refreshments Company (DRC), the sole franchisee and distributor of PepsiCo products in Dubai and Northern Emirates.
The Pepsi Sports Fiesta is sponsored by Chevrolet, Wild Wadi, HUM and UAQ FM. More information can be found at the official website www.pepsisportfiesta.com.
