Dubai hosted a charity auction in collaboration with a number of global football stars to support orphaned children around the world.
The event, organised by the Amsak International Foundation, chaired by the international football star Mamadou Sakho, in collaboration with the Dubai Sports Council and Noor Dubai Foundation, auctioned a collection of the footballers’ personal items and t-shirts.
The hosting of the auction reflects Dubai’s commitment to launch charitable initiatives that address issues affecting underprivileged communities across the world, especially in the fields of healthcare and education.
The auction, held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Dubai, was attended by Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of the Dubai Sports Council; Nasser Aman Al Rahma, Assistant Secretary General of the Dubai Sports Council; Samuel Eto’o, President of the Cameroonian Football Federation and Mamadou Sakho.
A host of elite football stars from across the globe, including French football star Blaise Matuidi; former Moroccan international football player Mehdi Bin Atiya; former Arsenal and Manchester City star Bacary Sagna; Bosnian football player Miralem Pjanić; French football player Bafétimbi Gomis and former French national team player Patrice Evra, participated in the auction.
Items featured at the auction included the t-shirt of French football star Karim Benzema, who won the title of the best player in the world for the year 2022. The t-shirt, signed by the player, sold for $35,000.
Other items auctioned included the Arsenal t-shirt of French football player Thierry Henry, which sold for $23,000; Kylian Mbappé’s Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) t-shirt, which sold for $22,000 and Argentine professional footballer Lionel Messi’s PSG t-shirt, which sold for $17,000. Also sold at the auction were Brazilian professional footballer Neymar’s PSG t-shirt for $12,000; Algerian player Riyad Mahrez’s Manchester City t-shirt for $7,000 and Senegalese professional footballer Sadio Mane’s shoe and t-shirt for $6,500, among other items.
At the end of the event, a charity concert was held featuring Moroccan singer Saad Al-Majrad and world freestyle football champion Sian Garnier, who performed with a ball that was signed by several globally renowned football stars and then sold for $10,000. As part of the initiative, a charitable football match was held earlier with the participation of a number of football players.
The initiative aims to support orphaned children in Senegal through establishing educational institutions, sports centers and training facilities.
News Source: Emirates News Agency