GEMS Kindergarten Starters (KGS), winners of the inaugural Manchester City Abu Dhabi Cup, will travel to Manchester next week to visit the Etihad Stadium where they will experience a feel of being a Manchester City player.  

GEMS Kindergarten Starters won the two-day youth football extravaganza, which saw a total of 60 teams from across the Middle East compete for the coveted title of 2017 Manchester City Abu Dhabi Cup champions, held at Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi.

The 16-member KGS team, who are aged between eight and 10 years, will travel alongside City Football School coaching staff to Manchester on Monday, where they will have the opportunity to learn, train and play at the City Football Academy, take a behind the scenes tour of the Etihad Stadium, watch their heroes train up close and enjoy some well-earned down time, taking in the cultural surroundings of Manchester itself.

"It was really very hard for us to reach the final and get the winners' trophy at the Abu Dhabi Cup but we did it and I am so happy, we even beat the City Football Schools team, which we lost to during our qualifying match," said nine-year-old Hateem after his school's title win.

"The whole team is so excited to go to Manchester and get to train at the Academy and get to see the Etihad Campus for ourselves," he added.

Speaking about the importance of trips like these, Simon Hewitt, Project Manager at City Football, explained: "Trips like these are extremely important for the development of football in this country; it allows teams to bond, grow and develop. We have an action-packed schedule for the Abu Dhabi Cup winners (GEMS Kindergarten Starters) and we are looking forward to hosting them at the Etihad Campus. During their time in Manchester the team will really get to experience what it is like to be a City player and learn the City way."

City Football Schools, open to both boys and girls aged between three and 18, are based across three venues in Abu Dhabi: Emirates Palace, Zayed Sports City and New York University Abu Dhabi.

Those signing up to City Football School's new season training, which launches on September 10, 2017, are also in with a chance to win a trip to Manchester by registering for a full season before the start of the new term. The trip includes flights to Manchester, accommodation and tickets to watch an English Premier League match.

Source: Khaleej Times