The biggest team of the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 was launched with thousands of fans signing up as volunteers for the biggest-ever AFC Asian Cup in history.

With just over four months to Asia’s most prestigious football tournament, 5,000 opportunities were launched across a number of exciting and critical roles, from liaising with team services and VIPs hospitality across the competition, to media work and venue operations.

The launch event for the volunteers’ programme was attended by LOC Director of Marketing and Communications, Ahmad Al Qobaisi, who was joined by Saeed Khalifah Al Muhairi, Abu Dhabi Sports Council Director of Technical Affairs, along with Mohammad Al Shatiri AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 Volunteers Programme Manager who were present amongst a crowd of football fans yesterday, in Dubai Mall.

Speaking on the Volunteers programme, Asian Football Confederation (AFC) General Secretary, Dato’ Windsor John said: “Volunteers are the heart and soul of every major sporting event. They are real heroes who work tirelessly behind the scenes, so our football stars can focus on producing their best on-the-pitch and to ensure a memorable match-day experience for our passionate fans.

“The time, commitment and expertise of volunteers are immeasurable. I am confident that the spirit of volunteering will not only energise and inspire our fans and players but will also showcase the diversity and generosity of the Asian football community, and together, we will stage the best AFC Asian Cup in history.”

HE Mohammad Khalfan Al Romaithi, Vice President of the Supreme Local Organising Committee, emphasised the importance of launching the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 volunteers programme, citing the success of the volunteers programmes from the football tournaments, previously hosted in the UAE and the positive impact they had on the community and on the country’s reputation.

HE commented: “The Volunteers Programme is one of the core foundations of our organisational operations throughout the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 tournament, in all its football matches across the country. We look forward to welcoming more than 5,000 volunteers from all professional backgrounds, who will join forces to serve the purpose of this prestigious football tournament, and reflect peace and harmony between all races, cultures in the UAE.”

His Excellency Aref Hamed Al Awani, Tournament Director for the Local Organising Committee, said: “For anyone living in the region this is a truly unique opportunity as our volunteers won’t just witness sporting history, they’ll be part of it.

“The launch of the volunteers programme creates great opportunities for people within the community, as being part of a world-class tournament which involves bringing a whole Continent together.

He also emphasised that there are numerous key volunteer areas required throughout the competition namely, venue management, competition, media, marketing, protocol, logistics and accreditation.

He added: “Our goal is to raise the bar of the successes we witnessed from previous events, and to build on the country’s continuous developments while hosting world-class sport events.

With just 5,000 volunteer places up for grabs for the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019, tournament organisers expect strong competition for places with the rising popularity of volunteering at sports tournaments.

The only real requirement is that volunteers should be older than 16. Further information on registration and the number of roles available can be found at

https://volunteers.ae/index.aspx

About the AFC Asian Cup:

The AFC Asian Cup is the pinnacle international team tournament held by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) every four years to determine the champion of Asia. The competition is the second-oldest continental football championship (after the Copa America) and was first held in 1956. The AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019^TM expands the number of participating nations from 16 to 24, making it the biggest tournament ever.

The 2019 tournament will be the second time the UAE has hosted the event, after successfully staging the finals in 1996. The Asian Cup UAE 2019 runs from 5 January to 1 February 2019, with 51 matches being played in eight world class stadiums located across four host cities - Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah.