Wesgreen International School will certainly not forget their tour to Italy, especially after they reigned supreme in the Under-11s Mediterranean Cup.
With the tournament attracting top international institutions, the Sharjah outfit took nothing to chance as the youths began their preparations eight weeks in advance.
And those hours on the training field yielded positive results as Wesgreen’s ‘A’ side topped their group, scoring 11 goals in their three games.
That set up a final against Italy’s EIS Rosa but Wesgreen showed no signs of buckling under pressure against the hosts.
Mohammed Farooq was in red-hot form, finding his scoring touch with a hat-trick, while strikes from Ahmed Rashed and Joachim Christensen saw Wesgreen celebrate a comprehensive 5-1 triumph.
There was more reason to celebrate for the school after their ‘B’ side finished third in the same age group.
Despite losing to their peers 6-1, the ‘B’ side responded emphatically in the third-place play-off to defeat Egypt’s SAS Alexandria 2-0.
Goals from Muhammad Shayan and Aamin Ammir were enough for Wesgreen, who gained revenge on their group defeat.
For Darren Baxter, who shared coaching duties with Yusef Patel, he had nothing but praise for both teams especially as it was the first time they went on a tour.
“We have been going to this competition for the last three years, competing in the Under-14 level but we thought it would be a good idea to enter the Under-11 sides also,” he said.
“They were fantastic and we were training hard and put in a lot of effort. They were not used to the cold weather but they performed really well and I’m really proud of them.”
He added: “It was a fantastic trip for the guys, especially as it was the first time many had travelled without their parents abroad. Although football was the primary focus, developing the boys independence was also a huge goal. I’m certain the kids will remember this trip for the rest of their life.”
