28 April 2019 – Doha, Qatar:
On Saturday evening, the team representing the Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan clinched the 2019 title of the Aspire Football Association Championship in its third edition after defeating the team representing the Embassy of Portugal with a spectacular score of six to null.
The Bosnian Embassy secured bronze after a closely fought match with their Malian counterparts that ended 4-1.
With these results, the Jordanians succeeded in firmly defending their 2018 title and continue their remarkable performance through the three editions of the tournament, initially walking away with the silver medal at the inaugural competition.
Commenting the tournament, Mohammed Mubarak Al Kuwari, Chief Marketing Officer at Aspire Zone Foundation (AZF), said: “I congratulate the Jordanian Embassy team for their outstanding victory and success in defending their title. Their participation and enthusiasm during this year’s tournament has been incredible.”
Al Kuwari added: “The main objective of the tournament is to encourage the practice of physical activity in an informal setting and allow open communication amongst members of the diplomatic missions assigned to Doha. It was great to see ambassadors and heads of missions and members of expat communities enjoying the ambiance of the tournament.”
Al-Kuwarithanked Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and said that the tournament would not have been possible without their support.
Meanwhile, HE Ashraf E. Qatarneh, Consul, Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,commented on his team’s victory saying: “We are thrilled to win the championship for the second time in a row. We are always keen to participate and support sports activities amongst members of the Jordanian community in Qatar who have shared in our joy of winning.”
Qatarnehadded, “I would like to thank the organizers, AZF and MOFA, for organizing an event that supports the cultural exchange between the embassies, their members as well as members of the expat communities.”
At the closing, Qatarnehawarded the tournament referees while Al Kuwarihanded over gold medals and a trophy to the Jordanian Embassy team.
HE Saeed Ali Al Hajri, Assistant Director of Protocol Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, presented a trophy and silver medals to the Portuguese team, while, Alaa Kamal, Marketing Manager at Vodafone Qatar, presented a trophy and bronze medals for the Bosnian team.
Fans in the stands write their own story
Fans supporting the teams of Jordan, Bosnia, Portugal and Mali supported their teams throughout the final matches singing local chants and sharing in the spirit of the games. Meanwhile, Vodafone Qatar encouraged fan participation by running a draw for three lucky fans to receive a full-year subscription to GigaNet Home. The 2019 Aspire Embassies tournament was sponsored by Vodafone Qatar in partnership with Al Rayyan Water and Corona Café.
The tournament in numbers
270 goals
17 Yellow Cards and 4 Red Cards
31 Matches with 114players