Tag Archives: entertainment
‘UAE capable of hosting big football events’
‘UAE capable of hosting big football events’ James Jose / 22 August 2013 Fifa, the world’s governing body for football has backed the UAE to host a successful Under-17 World Cup. Inaki Alvarez, the Fifa Deputy Director of Competitions said that the UAE was capable of hosting an event of such magnitude and with success. Inaki Alvarez, Fifa Deputy Director of Competitions; Mohammed bin Bdoua, Tournament Director; during the Fifa and LOC venue inspection at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium on Wednesday. — KT photo “I see UAE as very capable. I have no doubt that they are capable of hosting this event. They have already hosted several World Cups. So, they can do this. This is the biggest one as far as that is concerned. But they are very capable, I have no doubt,” Alvarez told the Khaleej Times at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium on Wednesday. Alvarez and his team were in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday and were wrapping up their final round of inspections of the six venues — Dubai, Al Ain, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah and Abu Dhabi — along with the Local Organising Committee (LOC). The inspections began last Friday in a bid to finalise preparations for the tournament, which plays out from October 17 to November 8. The official draw of the Tournament will be held in Abu Dhabi next Monday. “Most of the international football stars you see playing today started their careers at the Fifa U-17 World Cup. This is a developmental tournament and with the UAE’s focus on building a legacy in football, it seemed like the perfect fit to bring the event here,” he said. “The beauty about this tournament is that every host city takes the Fifa U-17 World Cup and makes it their own, and the UAE is no different. I am confident that this event will be a great experience for the country as a host nation, for the participating teams and for the fans coming down to support their players,” he added. Hosting a world class sporting event is not new to the UAE. The UAE successfully hosted the Fifa Club World Cup twice. Alvarez refused to be drawn on rating one city over another and said that the focus was on getting them to a state of readiness. “I’m not going to rate one city over another. They are all working hard we need them to get to the finish line at the same time, in a good quality and in a state of readiness. That is what we need to focus on right now,” he said. Alvarez was pleased with the progress made but added that a lot more needs to be done. “We are just finishing completion of the second last visit of all the venues, the stadiums, all the training sites and hotels. And right now, we are 55 days from kick-off. It is a very critical time for us. So, what we can report is that on the infrastructure side atleast, we have seen a lot of progress. Much more remains to be done yet. But we see that it is moving in the right direction. So, we are optimistic in that sense. “The other area that we really have to start focussing on is the people’s side, the organisation. I think here we need to show more attention because this is the details – about hospitality, about customer service. We have time but we need to be focussing on it,” said Alvarez. The Fifa’s Competitions team will be back for the last round of scheduled inspections from October 2–8 during which they will do a dry run of all the systems at the stadiums. He stressed the importance on ensuring that the infrastructure and organisation in place for the tournament are in line with Fifa’s international quality standards. “What needs to improve is the coming together as venue organisations. One hand knows what the other hand is doing and the timings and the levels of service. We want to provide and want to show the world. On the physical side, my main concern right now is the training site. The teams spend most of their time at the training site. We have 25 of them if we include the referees. We need to make a push to get them to the standard that we are looking for,” he said. james@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Manning says ‘he is a woman’
Manning says ‘he is a woman’ (Reuters) / 22 August 2013 Bradley Manning, sentenced to 35 years in military prison for the biggest breach of classified US documents in US history, said in a statement on Thursday he is female and wants to live as a woman named Chelsea. ‘As I transition into this next phase of my life, I want everyone to know the real me. I am Chelsea Manning, I am a female,’ Manning, 25, said in the statement read on NBC News’ ‘Today’ show. ‘Given the way that I feel and have felt since childhood, I want to begin hormone therapy as soon as possible,’ Manning said. ‘I also request that starting today you refer to me by my new name and use the feminine pronoun.’ Manning’s lawyer David Coombs said on the programme that he expected Manning to get a pardon from President Barack Obama. Manning, a former junior intelligence analyst, was sentenced on Wednesday for turning over more than 700,000 classified files, battlefield videos and diplomatic cables to WikiLeaks in the biggest breach of secret data in the nation’s history. Manning is expected to serve the sentence at the US Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Coombs has said the soldier could be pardoned in seven years. Continue reading
Special Report : Emiratis crazy on gaming
Emiratis crazy on gaming Mustafa Al Zarooni / 21 August 2013 Many locals are abandoning social networking sites Facebook and Twitter, in favour of photo-sharing and gaming sites — with many even prepared to dig deep and spend thousands for the privilege. Fed up of the intense political discussions and heated exchange of views often sprawled across the usually popular social networking sites, people are turning to gaming as a form of escapism from their everyday problems. One particular game, which has garnered huge popularity of late is ‘Clash of Clans’ — an epic combat strategy game, where any member of the community can join in. The game, which only completed its first year weeks ago, allows enthusiasts to form close-knit groups with one another, enabling them to interact with each other, whether chatting amongst themselves or devising plans to excel in their current position in the game. One local, 29-year-old Ahmed Miftah said he has spent more than Dh20,000 in only seven months trying to reach the highest position domestically first, then internationally. “What I have spent is little compared to the hefty amounts of money others have invested in the game”, he said. It has been noticed recently that many Emiratis are moving towards these games where they build camps and combatant armies under the banner of the clan’s castle. The castle is their symbol and enhances the force of the group by bagging a number of trophies they have collected, to prove self assertiveness and stature. So consumed by the game, many even name their castle’s after the names of their countries/regions, so the more power they get, the more recognition their region gets globally. Several gamers have even spent thousands of dirhams purchasing barricks and armies, in turn strengthening their status and position in the game. The leader board shows three UAE-based teams dominating the top ten list “Two Emirati players had managed to reach the top position in the world single-handedly, and not in the castle”, Miftah said, adding that, the pair had soon lost their place as it is difficult to maintain it, due to the large numbers of competitors. He said the game is very addictive: “It is a widely popular game and catches the attention of gamers rapidly.” He said some of his friends didn’t care about what was being discussed on social networking sites anymore, as they are concentrating on what’s happening in the game, and how powerful their clan is. He noted that most discussions raised on Clash of Clans are about the development of troops and barracks, not politics, like on other sites. He said it is the first-of-its-kind with such features, and it can be played on smartphones — which is convenient for many. Although similar games were on the market, like World of War, the features on Clash of Clash far outweighs its competitors. Miftah pointed out that he managed to reach 10th place on the UAE leader board, yet he has now lost that position because of its growing popularity. He stated that most of his friends, who are of different ages and educational backgrounds, pay money for this game, despite claiming they wouldn’t when they first joined — proving just how addictive the game is. Popular throughout the world, some of it’s most powerful clans are called United Arab Emirates UA and UI, Emirates Pirates and Heart of the Emirates — more proof that Emiratis are among the front runners when it comes to Clash of Clans. Emiratis outnumber participants from other countries and they are progressing quickly on the leader board, thanks to good strategy, teamwork and in many cases, the help of thousands of dirhams to jump to top positions in a short time. Another keen gamer, 28-year-old Ahmed Darwish, who describes himself as a “semi-addict” pointed out that the first thing he does when he checks his phone is examines his barracks and clan — ‘Dubai 187’ — looking for ways to strengthen its position on the leader board. “This game is the only thing which makes me carry my phone all the time, and I cannot do without it,” he said. Darwish affirmed that he is no longer interested in the likes of Facebook or Twitter because people discuss subjects, which they often know very little about. malzarooni@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
