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23-03-2015


National Beverage Company launches Copa Coca-Cola in Conjunction with School Football Tournament-Palestine




Ramallah - Al Hayat Al Riyadiah - The National Beverage Company Coca-Cola/Cappy (NBC) launched the Copa Coca-Cola Tournament in Palestine for age groups of 12 to 15 years old in cooperation with Coca-Cola Global.  This event came in conjunction with the Futsal Coca-Cola School Football Tournament (Copa Coca-Cola) annually organized by NBC in partnership with the Palestinian Ministry of Education for the seventh consecutive year. 
 
The competition in the two championships is to start on the 20th of the coming April while the competition in Gaza will be launched next summer.  For the first time in Palestine, NBC endeavors to expand the competition to move from the local to the international level by improving the Futsal football tournament that targets public schools across the different governorates in Palestine. The Company also encourages more juniors to participate in the competition as they would have the opportunity to take part in the World Copa Coca-Cola Championship in Germany. Copa Coca-Cola Championship - Palestine coincides with the School Tournament Championship as the latter is planned to be organized in cooperation with the Palestinian Ministry of Education during the next month in the directorates of the West Bank.  Both winners from the school teams and Copa Palestine teams will compete in the finals.  The winner will represent Palestine in the finals of Copa Coca-Cola in Germany for the year 2015 and with compete with football teams from all over the world. Therefore, NBC announced that interested individuals can register through NBC website: http://www.nbc-pal.ps before the end of the registration period on 17th April.
 
In the same context, Mr. Imad al-Hindi, General Manager of NBC pointed out that interested juniors can register on the same website where they will be directed (linked) to: http://copacoca-cola.nbc-pal.ps. He added that Copa Palestine focuses on forming teams, of 8 players each including at least one goal keeper. These players are selected based on standards that are already set and approved by the international Copa Coca-Cola organizers. 64 teams compete and are divided according to geographical areas as follows: Northern governorates that include Jenin, Tubas, Tulkarem, Nablus, Qalqilya and Salfit; middle governorates that include Jerusalem, Ramallah, Al-Bireh and Jericho, and the Sothern governorates that include Bethlehem and Hebron.  In case the number of team exceeds 64, the priority is given to teams that registered first.
 
As for participation in Copa Coca-Cola in Germany, the winner from either the School Tournament or Copa Palestine will represent Palestine in this international championship to be held in the Lindo Football Academy in Germany. The visit to Germany will include various activities such as intensive training for the participant teams to be conducted by professional trainers to prepare them for the final match. Moreover, the visit will include other activities and different competitions held by the Lindo Academy and a tour to entertainment and historical places in Berlin.
 
Mr. al-Hindi expressed his pleasure to launch Copa Coca-Cola championship in its new outlook that includes larger number of talented juniors.  He also wished to see the championship held in Gaza Strip next summer where Gaza juniors would be able to participate with their colleagues to compete in Palestine pointing out that the delay in launching the championship was due to some logistic problems but the time for holding the championship and the selection criteria will be announced in due time.  He explained that the Company was keen to play a constant effective role in looking after juniors who have interest in sports.  He added that the Company have not settled with a certain level of activities and initiatives and had no limits for their type and form. He pointed out that: "We have noticed how this particular sport has united people and turned out to be a language of communication between nations regardless of their nationality or ethnicity.  Based on our endeavor that Palestine should take part in this common communication language and in the context of NBC’s interest and care in supporting sports and Youth, we had to provide the Youth with this unique experience and give them the opportunity to make their dreams come true and go through new experiences with participants from all over the world".
 
Mr. al-Hindi added that: "NBC has always endeavored to be a partner in the process of developing the Palestinian society, namely the Youth to raise them to the international level. This endeavor stems from the Company's belief in the talented children and young people; and the need to refine their characters and talents by making use of other global experiences and acquiring new experiences to foster the potentials of the talented to form a national football team, which can lead Palestine to the World Cup."