It is not the kind of football that you would normally associate with Emirati teenagers.
While most of their contemporaries are kicking a round ball about, cousins Abdullah and Fahad Al Alawi prefer the more physical version of American football.
Today they fly out to Singapore with the EAFL Falcons Under 18s for a two-game tour, only weeks after hosting teams from Germany and Russia in Abu Dhabi.
“I like sports in general,” said Abdullah, 15. “And when I saw a few friends playing American football, I decided to give it a go. It’s a great game.”
American football is not even the first popular North America sport that the Abu Dhabi schoolboy has taken up.
“I play ice hockey too,” he said. “I like these sports because they are different to what everyone else usually plays here. I like to be one of the first to try different sports out.”
Abdullah plays fullback for the Falcons, now coached by former Georgia Tech and Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Tony Robinson.
“The training is so enjoyable,” Abdullah said. “The coach has experience of playing college and pro football, and he trained players in the US, so he knows how to teach players.”
Abdullah finishes his school day at 3.30pm and twice a week he heads to Zayed Sports City for training at 5.30pm for two hours. Over the past two seasons he has played a total of 12 matches. “There is no issues with school work, everything is done in its own time,” he said.
Even at this stage, the young Falcons players are gaining experience in a sport that only a few years ago barely existed in the UAE. Thanks to the establishment of the Emirates American Football League, things are changing.
“We’ve played against teams from Germany, Russia and China,” Abdullah said. “Now we’re going for the two games in Singapore. We are going not just to play but to experience new countries and new places.”
The young Emirati said the sport may even shape where he continues his higher education in the future.
“If I go to university in the US, I can carry on taking part in this sport,” he said.
“If I continue to progress in American football, that would be the ideal place to study.”
Abdullah’s cousin, Fahad, 14, was drawn to American football thanks to his best friend.
“I’ve been playing for two years now. My old friend, Reed Anderson, who’s back in Cleveland now, let me know about American football here,” he said.
“He knew that I knew some things about the game. I played ice hockey with him and he told me that we should play football together too.”
Fahad already had more than a passing interest in the game, and would often stay up late to watch his favourite NFL team the Seattle Seahawks.
Now he finds himself being coached by someone who has tasted action at the highest level of the game and he is excited about training and learning more about tactics and the positions he plays in.
“It’s actually fun,” he said. “It’s better now because training is more strict and you always have to be there regularly. On offence I play as guard or tackle and defence I play as nose.”
After two years and 12 games with the Falcons, he now has a chance to show his skills to a new audience in Singapore.
“It’s the first time I’m travelling with a team, with the Falcons especially, so I’m really excited to be with my coaches and teammates,” he said.
So does he, like his cousin, dream of collegiate life in the United States?
“I hope so,” he said. “As my favourite team is the Seahawks, I’d like to go to Seattle.”
[ akhaled@thenational.ae ]
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @NatSportUAE
