Doha: The first day of the Spread Your Wings Football Cup has helped launch Aspire Academy’s 20th anniversary celebrations.

The tournament kicked off yesterday on Aspire Academy’s indoor football pitch and will continue on the 12 and 20 November, with the finals set for next April.

The tournament is for 7-8-year-olds, and yesterday’s event featured more than 100 boys from five local public schools and five private ones.

For tomorrow’s competition and the one set for November 20, 260 boys from 10 public schools and 16 private ones have been invited to each event. 

The academy is organising a series of community events to underline its role in promoting a healthy lifestyle and encouraging youngsters to get involved in sports.

Future events include student-led sports activities, seminars, dialogues with alumni, and gatherings to foster connections within Qatar’s sports community. 

Saeed Ali Al Marri, Football Administration Director at Aspire Academy, explained that the tournament, organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, consists of three stages. 

The first stage involves qualifiers, with a total of four schools advancing from each competition day in November. 

April’s finals will feature six public and six private schools competing for the championship. 

He emphasised that the event also offers an opportunity for Aspire Academy to identify young talent who could eventually be invited to join the Academy’s programmes to nurture their potential.