KUWAIT CITY, July 29: The Acting Chairman of the Kuwait Football Association's Board of Directors, Haif Al-Mutairi, inaugurated the inaugural talent discovery festival for players born in 2011. This event, organized by the Association's Blue Academy, saw the presence of Bashar Abdullah, Acting Director General of the Public Authority for Sports, Ahmed Aqla Al-Enezi, and Vice Chairman of the Association's Board, Dr. Mansour Pasha, a Board Member, and Salah Al-Qanaei, the Association's Secretary-General.

Held at the subsidiary stadium of Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium, the festival is part of the Talent Development Program (TDS) in collaboration with FIFA. Approximately 100 players born in 2011 participated, following an electronic registration process that included submitting a short video. The festival featured various technical, physical, and tactical stations, where talents were evaluated based on specific criteria by the technical staff of the Association's Cubs and Juniors teams.

Bashar Abdullah emphasized that the Authority supports such festivals for various unions both financially and logistically. He highlighted the Authority's commitment to backing the Football Association's strategy and efforts to advance sports.

Haif Al-Mutairi expressed the Association's dedication to supporting and organizing these festivals, noting their significant benefits for national teams. He affirmed that the Association plans to continue hosting these festivals to enhance players' skills and technical abilities, and to nurture their ambition to play football. Al-Mutairi also mentioned that similar festivals will be held for other age groups, extending his gratitude to all involved in the festival's success.

The Director of the Blue Academy, Youssef, stated that the festival reflects the academy's commitment to discovering and fostering football talents to form age-appropriate teams. He added that the Academy will work on developing the capabilities of selected players using modern methods to enhance their skills and physical fitness.

Youssef announced plans for 20 similar festivals, including five dedicated to girls. He noted that about 350 players born between 2011 and 2016 have registered, following the Federation's call for electronic registration and video submissions.

He encouraged parents of talented and passionate young footballers to register through the Federation's website, providing an opportunity for their children to be scouted by both local and international federations.