UAE's special child enjoys at Manchester United match
Date
9/27/2016 1:27:48 AM
(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) A UAE-based child with Down syndrome was among the 11 young mascots at Manchester United who enjoyed an eventful week at the Premiere League game that ended with Manchesters thrashing 4-1 victory against Leicester City at Old Trafford.
Ali Shaaban and his teammates got a meet and greet Jose Mourinho and his players at the Aon Training Complex. The mascots, aged 8 to 13 from China, Colombia, Mexico, South Korea, UAE and the United States, played a game and learned secret tips from professional footballers. They walked out with the team before kick-off and took penalties during halftime. Twelve-year-old Shaaban, an Egyptian, was among the two mascots representing the UAE in the international game. I want children around the world to know that Im a special boy, but I play football everyday, said Shaaban. The young football player had an open-heart surgery when he was just a year old. He has been playing football from a young age. Playing sports has had a big impact on him and has increased his confidence, noted Els Huybrechts, the boys mother. When competitions to select children from the UAE were going on, I did not think Ali would do it. We always limit our children, but we should have higher expectations of them, said Huybrechts. The Chevrolet initiative brings children from around the world every year to Manchester to be mascots at Old Trafford. This year, they wanted to include a special needs child and they hosted a competition with Soccer Kids Academy through which Ali was selected, said Huybrechts. She added that she was surprised as her son was able to speak in front of the camera in Manchester and interact well with people. Making new friends from around the globe and learning new tricks that will improve his football skills were the trips highlight. It was a life-changing experience for him, she said. Huybrechts noted that football remains a universal language among people from different cultures. You got children from different backgrounds who did not speak English, yet they were playing together and communicating through football, and thats the whole message, said Huybrechts. Share
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