UAE showers riches on victorius Gulf Cup victors
Arab Herald Friday 25th January, 2013
• Team given $49.5 million by UAE rulers alone
• UAE companies and busines leaders also make awards
• UAE national team won the Gulf Cup in extra time by one goal
UAE leaders have swamped their victorius football team with cash and gifts, making them all multi-millionaires overnight.
Downing Iraq in extra time in the Gulf Cup held in Bahrain last weekend put the young footballers on the pathway to riches.
With both teams having notched up just one goal apiece, the game was decided when the UAE's Ismail Al Hammadi slammed a goal home in the 107th minute of the game at Bahrain National Stadium on Friday, to give the UAE a 2-1 victory. It was the second title won by the UAE in the Gulf Cup's 21 year history. The UAE last won the event in 2007.
A day after the game the team and the coach were being welcomed by the UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the Al Rawda Palace in Al Ain. The president gave the team UAE 50 million dirhams ($13.7 million), saying "The achievement made by the sons of the UAE at this big Gulf event swept the UAE with joy and renewed our continuous celebration of our achievements."
"It is an opportunity to show our solidarity and eternal love for this generous country," he added.
President Khalifa pledged support to all sports and sportspeople in the UAE, and encouraged the football team to go on and achieve more.
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