The Emirates Airline triumphed in the men’s category of this year’s Zurich Corporate Touch 6s tournament, with a 3-2 victory over Cluttons.
Emirates captain Kane Sandison, was thrilled to taste success after being beaten in the final of the mixed cup category last year. “It was always our goal to get our hands on some silverware at this year’s event”, he said. “Cluttons are a strong team and proved tough competition. We started out on the back-foot when they scored first, but thanks to the sheer strength and determination of the team, including some strong Kiwi players, we were able to come good in the end.”
This is only the second time Emirates Airlines has competed in the tournament and are already looking forward to defending their trophy, having won each of their seven games at this year’s event. “We only started taking part in the tournament last year, but were keen to come back for more this year”, Sandison added. “It’s such a great, well-organised event and, in our opinion, the premier touch event in the UAE calendar. We’re looking forward to defending our title next year, and have already started to work on our game-plan”.
Winners: Saudi Scorpions won the mixed plate
The mixed cup was won by tournament first-timers Creative Zone, who also boasted the mixed team player of the tournament, Fiona Donald. Incredibly, Donald also completed a 150km bike ride earlier in the day.
Andrew Bowes, captain of the Scorpions team from Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, who won the mixed plate, spoke of the importance of the event for their team. “This was our third year taking part in the Zurich Corporate Touch 6s and we love coming over to Dubai to take part as it’s such a great standard of play and so well-organised. It’s a key highlight in the year for us, and we just love the sportsmanship shown by all taking part.”
This was the seventh annual Zurich Corporate Touch 6s Tournament, and attracted thirty-one teams from businesses across the UAE. Walter Jopp, CEO of Zurich, said: “We’re proud to have been the headline sponsor behind this fabulous event from day one, and in recent years have witnessed its emergence into a lively community day for all to enjoy.”
“It was great to see the outstanding skills and determination of all the winners, but more important was the camaraderie which was on display among every player, regardless of ability or experience. The event is genuinely accessible to all, with many players taking part in a touch game for the first time, and this adds to the tremendous fun and competitive spirit which is on display throughout the day, and makes it so entertaining to watch.”
OTHER KEY RESULTS:
Mixed Cup Winners – Creative Zone, Dubai, with a 3-2 win over Safa Community School
Mixed Plate Winners – Saudi Scorpions 1, with a 4-1 win over Lamprell
Mixed Bowl Winners – AES, with a 3-0 win over BASF
Men’s Player of the Tournament – Charlie Sergeant, Cluttons
Mixed Player of the Tournament – Fiona Donald, Creative Zone
Pictures by Melissa Lear. www.melissalear.com
