Brian Murgatroyd over at Dubai Sports City shares this interview with UAE beach soccer coach Gustavo ‘Guga’ Zloccowick, who talks about the team and the upcoming Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup.
The tournament will run its fourth staging this year, and has become one of the most prominent forums for the sport on the global stage in its young history.
The 2014 draw was held in Dubai on Monday, and the UAE were placed in Group A with Iran, Morocco and Portugal.
Iran were the champions of last year’s tournament.
Last year the field included 2013 Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup winners Russia as well as Iran, the tournament winners, with Brazil Mexico, Morocco, Switzerland and Italy rounding things out.
It’s a tough draw for the Emiratis, but, as Zloccowick notes, “UAE are also one of the best teams in the world, all the tournaments we must think we can go and be champions”.
The tournament has become an important proving ground for what has become one of the UAE’s signature sports, as in the last two years they’ve entered that loaded field and emerged third-place finishers.
Listen below for the rest of Zloccowick’s thoughts ahead of the November showcase.
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Starring: Chris O'Dowd, Rose Byrne, Ethan Hawke
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if you go
The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.
The trip
Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.
