Head & Shoulders Arab Freestyle Football Championship Crowns Grand Winner!
Emirati freestyle maestro Ammar "Freez" Al-Khodairi took home the much-coveted first prize at the Head & Shoulders Freestyle Football Arab Championship Finale held in Dubai
Emirati freestyle maestro Ammar “Freez” Al-Khodairi beat out an astounding 15 other contestants and walked away with a generous cash prize of AED15,000 at the Head & Shoulders Freestyle Football Arab Championship Finale held at the Burj Khalifa steps in Dubai Mall on January 18th. Second and third place regional winners Ziad Al-ssawi (UAE) and Youssef “Yorok” Ayman (Egypt) were also awarded AED10,000 and AED5,000, respectively. In truth, Head & Shoulders has long served as a beacon of confidence, with the brand’s core values of optimism and participation playing a pivotal role in helping sports aficionados to achieve peak performance. In line with this vision, the event – co-hosted by Head &Shoulders Brand Ambassador Raya Abi Rached – saw 16 of the MENA region’s most skilled football freestylers show off their moves in an intense 32-round Finale.
Now, thanks to his regional win, Ammar “Freez” Al-Khodairi is set to be part of the F3 World Tour that takes place around the world in 2013.
Indeed, the fight for the title of Regional Champion began with national qualifiers held across eight MENA nations including Lebanon, the UAE, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan, Kuwait and Egypt. Each country designated two winners – one elected by a jury and the other by popular vote on facebook.com/hnsarabia – representing the highest caliber of regional freestyle talent.
A precursor to the World Championship, the regional finale in Dubai comprised an esteemed panel of judges featuring Freestyle Football Federation Ambassadors Kamal ‘Kamalio’ Ranchod and Bilal Al-Beriakdar as well as former Red Bull Street Style Soccer World Champion Arnaud ‘Séan’ Garnier.
In effect, in 2012, ‘Kamalio’ Ranchod won the title of South Africa’s Top Freestyle Footballer for a second time. Fellow judge Al-Beriakdar is also an active member of the Arab Freestyle Movement. A true pioneer in his own right, ‘Séan’ Garnier was crowned the first World Champion of Red Bull Street Style Soccer in Sao Paulo, Brazil; he created a new and innovative football freestyle method which combined music, rhythm, expertise and attitude. In fact, the famous freestyle ‘Block Moves’ originate from ‘Séan’ Garnier and his crew Street Style Society.
“Freestyle football is a way of expressing your creativity and we were immediately impressed by Ammar “Freez” Al-Khodairi’s ability to fuse footwork control with impeccable technique, extreme passion, immaculate flow and incredible self-confidence,” said Al-Beriakdar. “After all, this Head & Shoulders’ competition is all about confidence! Ammar “Freez” Al-Khodairi left the crowd amazed and we can’t wait to see him showcase his impressive freestyle moves in the Global Championship!”
Following the success of the Arab Freestyle Football Championship 2012, Head & Shoulders is set to continue to promote this creative sport in the next year, support its players and give them the needed platform for them to express themselves confidently.
For more information, please visit facebook.com/hnsarabia
Emirate: Dubai
Date: Jan 30, 2013
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