Volkswagen Junior Master Soccer championship

Jeddah, 30 April 2011 – "American International School" won the Saudi qualifying round 3-0 and a booked a berth for the finals of the Volkswagen Junior Masters Middle East in Dubai on May 7 – where the regional soccer champion school for under 13-year-old boys will be decided.

The runner up, Dar Jana International School also qualified for the Dubai matches from where two regional finalists will emerge to play against the one of the popular German teams in Germany late this year.

SAMACO Automotive, exclusive dealer of Volkswagen cars in Saudi Arabia, organized the qualifying rounds in which six international and two government schools from Jeddah participated. The schools are Dar Jana School, Coral School, Prince Sultan School, Alanjal School, Global School, Alnamothajiyah Elementary II, Zahrat Alsahra School and American School.

In the closing ceremony, famous Brazilian striker of Al Ahli Football Club Victor Semoes ,Philip Burrluck, Volkswagen Brand Manager-SAMACO and Fathy Allam, Regional Sales Manager of Volkswagen Middle East, gave awards to winners as the American International School grabbed the first place, Dar Jana International School came in the second place and Prince Sultan Complex ended in the third place. On the other hand, Suliman Al Jerby of American International School who showed his great talent during the championship matches grabbed the best player award and top scorer award, while Kareem Badawi was selected as the best Goalkeeper.

Brazilian striker praised the championship and expressed his happiness to be part of it, he said “ It is so nice to put a smile on the faces of such young kids and I am very proud to be there for them.”

“These qualifying rounds demonstrate the passion the boys have for soccer,” said Philip Burrluck, Volkswagen Brand Manager - SAMACO, commending the finalists. “At such a young age, these players have a high level of skills, and I wish them all the best for the Dubai regional finals.”

The tournament, inspired by Volkswagen’s commitment to supporting young people and sport across the world, started 11 years ago. It is conducted according to FIFA rules. For the Saudi qualifying matches, the referees were approved by the General Presidency for Youth Welfare.

Commenting on the success of the championship Burrluck said “ we are very excited to be supporting the growth of the soccer at all levels, programs like Volkswagen Junior Master Soccer Championship, is exactly what we need to give kids a chance to play soccer.”