Olympics: UAE football team will not take part in opening ceremony

The late finish for Friday night's opening ceremony would hamper preparations for Team GB match, warns the UAE Football Association president.

Spectators attend a rehearsal for the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony
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MANCHESTER // The UAE football team will not march in the London 2012 opening ceremonies tomorrow (Friday), the president of the Football Association said, citing the length of the event and how late it will finish.

"The ceremony is too long, and our players will not participate in the ceremony," Yousuf Al Serkal said.

The football team account for 75 per cent of the Emirati athletes at the London Olympics, but they will have played the previous night, in Manchester, travelled to London on Friday morning and have a crucial match with Team Great Britain looming on Sunday.

Al Serkal expects that the Emirati athletes entered in individual competitions will march in the parade of nations at the opening gala, which is not expected to conclude before midnight.

Many athletes who compete this weekend will not attend the opening ceremonies. British media estimate that barely half of the host country's athletes, some of whom are training outside the country, will be at the Olympic Stadium.

sports@thenational.ae

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and Paul Oberjuerge