PSG Champions of the inaugural Al Kass U-17

In a spectacular finale to ten days of relentless battling for the first Under-17 international championship, French side FC Paris Saint-Germain earned their right to the Golden Cup, which was brought down to the field by the Qatar Armed Forces' Paratroopers.

PSG had beaten Juventus after the lines man discounted a goal they scored in the last minute as an offside led to tense penalty kicks that they won 5-4, after three-time Juventus Man of Match Matiello Federico surprised the crowd and his fans by missing the third kick. An earlier match on the same evening over third and fourth places saw Ajax Amsterdam beat Kashima Antlers 1-0.

Chairman of the Al Kass Local Organizing Committee Issa Abdulla al-Hitmi congratulated the winners and the rest of the teams on the eye-opening experience gained during the tournament, which acted as a simulation of the World Cup to the international players.

"Though none of our local or regional teams made it to the finals, I was happy to hear their coaches, after every match, speak of the growth and the improvement they saw," he said. "I am proud that Qatar has been home to the opportunity for these budding talents to experience how football is played on the international stage; whether in pace, technique or strategic tactics everyone here has become a better player than they were before the tournament, and that is what the U-17 is about."

Coaches of the four Arab teams participating agreed. Abdulrahman Arrammal, coach of the U-17 Al Jazira team said, "This tournament has been a great benefit to Al Jazira. It helped us develop our skills and expose our players to big names and to an international tournament."

Arrammal's team had finished in 10th place followed by Egypt’s Al Ahly, while Qatar’s Aspire International and Aspire Qatar finished in the 7th and 8th places respectively.

"This is the first time that the Al Ahly club plays with international teams. Because of that we were able to see our level compared to other teams," said Mamdouh Eid, director of co-ordination and PR for Al Ahly.

The inaugural Al Kass U-17, which marks a new yearly event on the FIFA calendar, was also praised by Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Thani, President of the Qatar Football Association (QFA) and Qatar Stars League in a special letter to the tournament's organizers.

"2012, has been marked by another milestone achievement with the launch of the Al Kass International Cup U-17. Such a tournament has not only become an additional asset to our football legacy in supporting and showcasing the football stars of the future, but it has also given other talents the chance to step up and shine," he remarked.

"We hope that we have extended our football family and have made new friends with whom we shall grow and enjoy this journey together. Who knows; we may see some of the young men as national team players representing their countries in the 2022 FIFA World Cup."

Al Kass International Cup Under-17 2012 in Doha, Qatar

Some of the biggest clubs in world football will be sending their youth teams to the Qatari capital Doha to compete in the first edition of a new international football tournament to be named as the Al Kass International Cup Under-17. The annual event will be held from January 8 to 17, 2012 at the outdoor football pitches at Aspire Zone in Doha.

The competition is being organized by Al Dawri & Al Kass Sports Channel (Al Kass), together with the Qatar Football Association (QFA) and Aspire Zone Foundation (AZF).

"This is going to be the first edition of an annual event that is set to further contribute to building on the foundations of a proud footballing nation up to the FIFA World Cup 2022 and beyond," said Issa Bin Abdulla Al-Hitmi, general manager of Al Kass.

The initiative is expected to benefit the global youth football movement as emerging junior teams from top clubs such as FC Paris Saint-Germain (France), Vasco da Gama (Brazil), Juventus (Italy), AFC Ajax Amsterdam (Netherlands), FC Barcelona (Spain), Kashima Antlers (Japan), Al Jazira (UAE) and Al Ahly (Egypt) discover new frontiers, build partnerships and make lifelong friendships.

The teams will be competing to win the the trophy for first place along with a 200,000 USD cash prize to be allocated to the winning club. There will also be awards given to the most valuable player of each match. The local Aspire Academy will also have two teams participating in the Cup, Aspire Qatar and Aspire International.

"Aspire Zone is honoured to be hosting such an innovative tournament to support youth development in football. The Aspire Academy has a strong history of hosting visiting youth football teams for friendly matches against our Aspire teams and the Al Kass International Cup U-17 will give our boys valuable experience. The players on display could be the future stars of world football so we just may see them returning to Qatar in 2022 to play in the FIFA World Cup," observed Ivan Bravo, Director General of Aspire Academy for Sports Excellence.

"Through the friendships forged during the annual Al Kass International Cup U-17, clubs will build a lasting relationship and intimacy with Qatar and its beautiful football stadiums leading all the way up to World Cup 2022," said Hamad Al-Mannai, director of the Al Kass International Cup U-17.

"We already know that Qatar is investing in the future of football and Doha is propelling itself as one of the leading sports capitals of the world, and we look forward to having a world class level of sportsmanship at the tournament," added Al-Mannai.

Officials said that all three stakeholders behind the initiative stand to gain from each other's expertise and contribute collectively to the growth of a footballing culture in Qatar and around the region.

With the tournament being held during football's winter break and located in a part of the world that truly bridges the East and the West, Ward Abdallah, head of the tournament's media committee, asserted that Al Kass U-17 has the tools required to communicate with the world's football community, "We will be launching a new website and using social media tools to ensure that we can reach and communicate directly with our Al Kass U-17 football community."

A number of key sponsors have already signed up to become part of a tournament of Al Kass International U-17's standing. These include Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee, Qatar National Bank, Fifty One East, Qatar Stars League, Q.media, Ritz Carlton Hotel, Mannai Air Travel, QVision, Qatar Airways, The Look Company, and Swiss Open Air.