New look UAE Junior Golf Team for the GCC Golf Championship
Faisal Al Marzouqi will join Ahmed Skaik and Abdulla Al Qubaisi, both products of the National Junior Programme, in leading the UAE challenge in the junior division of the GCC Golf Championship that gets under way at the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club from March 5 to 7.
The UAE are the defending champions in the junior division, and the new-look team will be aiming to make it two-in-a-row when it competes in the annual championship which has attracted teams from all the GCC states.
For both Skaik and Al Qubaisi, it will be their first exposure to this level of competition, but the talented duo sounded confident of rising up to the challenge.
“Of course, the pressure of defending the title will always be there, but we have the faith in ability and, hopefully, we will be able get the job done,” said Skaik.
“Our preparations in the run up to the championship have gone well and we can’t wait to get started,” he added.
The UAE junior team tallied a gross score of 320, beat their nearest rivals Qatar by four shots in last year’s championship held at the Royal Golf Club in Bahrain.
Caption – Junior team (Abdulla Al Qubaisi not available in photo) with Saeed Albudoor & Jason Froggatt
“It’s nice to see players from our National junior Programme make it to the UAE team,” said Saeed Albudoor, general manager of the Emirates Golf Federation.
“Their elevation to the national team will be a source of inspiration for other youngsters enrolled with NJP to work hard and follow in the footsteps of Skaik and Al Qubaisi,” he said.
“The junior team’s performance in the GCC Championship will be a good advertisement for the programme which we started in 2010 with the aim of increasing popularity of the game among the young Emiratis,” he said. The programme is supported by Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, Al Badia Golf Club, Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club, Abu Dhabi Golf Club and Abu Dhabi City Golf Club.
“We thank all the clubs for their support in promoting the game among national juniors. I believe through their association we will be able to find more players for our junior teams in the near future,” added Albudoor.
The GCC Championship, sponsored by Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club, will see teams from all six GCC states compete for honours and, in the process, will showcase the rising standard of the game in the region.
