Towards the dream of meeting Pepsi stars Fabregas, Messi and Henry
10 winners conclude the Pepsi street skills 2008 in Dubai
The Pepsi Street Skills 2008 concluded the third phase competitions held in Dubai, UAE where an unprecedented number of talented football enthusiasts experienced fun and excitement in the heart of Dubai Festival City’s field. The fourth and the final phase of the competitions will be held in the Sultanate of Oman on June 27th 2008.
Mr. Ibrahim Binaquil, GCC Senior Brand Manager – Colas at PepsiCo International, praised the high level of competition and denoted "We were impressed by the skills and talents performed on the field in this phase. Many players have dazzled the audience with their persistence to present their best while the jury had to select 10 candidates for the chance to win a dream trip to meet Pepsi Stars Fabregas, Messi and Henry in London and Barcelona". The selected top ten winners of the Pepsi Street Skills 2008 in the UAE were Ahmed Maher, Samer Al Shaibani, Snaad Mohamed, Abdullah Hussin, Adeeb Bazbazat, Khaled Mohamed, Mostapha Aymen, Ibrahim Al Mansoury, Assel Omaer Babhair, and Yousef Abdullah.
Aya Solh, Consumer Marketing Manager, Dubai Refreshments was delighted with the success of the Dubai edition of the region-wide football skills challenge and said, “The level of interest shown by the participants and the support from the public were overwhelming. The Pepsi Football Skills 2008 is just one of many fun and exciting events we’ve lined up this year as a way of rewarding our customers for their continued support. The event is in line with Pepsi’s strategy to connect the youth with sports.”
All participants were given the freedom to demonstrate their football skills within a 2 minute timeframe which they would like to be seen by the jury. Their abilities were then documented through videos made by the committee, ensuring that the player has the necessary capabilities to qualify for the next phase.
Due to the large number of young hopefuls who wanted to take part in the competition, Pepsi provided convenient alternative methods of registration through phone, Pepsi’s website www.pepsiarabia.com and the organizing company’s website www.axemevents.com.
Mr. Binaquil added, "After concluding the third phase in Dubai, we will proceed to Oman for the fourth and final stop following Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and UAE. This will be followed by the second stage in which the audience will vote for the best talent through the website www.pepsiarabia.com."
Pepsi Street Skills 2008 implements the highest standards of screening to select the best players, adopting techniques from last year’s challenge such as overcoming time and distance by using video for live communication between the players and the judges. A points system is used to evaluate the skills and capabilities of the contestants as they play in matches on private football fields measuring 40 x 30 meters.
Pepsi aims to commit to support and prepare the next generation of national football stars, providing them with the highest level of training with all the necessary experiences which can be implemented in their future career in professional football enabling them to compete at an international level.
About PepsiCo International
PepsiCo International is one of the world’s premier consumer products companies focused on convenience foods and beverages. With a presence in the GCC dating back more than 50 years, PepsiCo today operates through a network of ten local bottlers, producing and marketing products which include Pepsi Cola, Mirinda, 7UP, Mountain Dew, Tropicana and Aquafina.
