The skies over Al Ain erupted in fireworks on Saturday night as the Garden City's home team celebrated its victory in the Arabian Gulf League. With three out of the past four championships under the team's belt, and a total of 12 wins since the competition began in 1973, Al Ain has earned the right to call itself "the home of UAE football".
But it’s not just the winners who deserve applause. The game itself is going from strength to strength in the UAE. A lot of investment has gone into developing players – such as Al Ain’s popular midfielder Omar Abdulrahman – coaches and infrastructure, including the state-of-the-art Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.
Challenges remain. These include encouraging fans to go to stadiums rather than watch the game on TV. Even so, the future is bright. Al Ain is looking towards its defence of the President’s Cup against Al Fujairah on Thursday, while the other clubs are no doubt planning their campaigns for the 2015-16 season. The best of luck to them all.
