DOHA – Qatar hosted the 24th Arabian Gulf Cup last week and it was a historic win for the underdogs Bahrain who defeated three times champion Saudi Arabia in the finals to become the regional champion.
This tournament was historic in another sense as it occurred amidst a strict blockade of Qatar by its neighbors. The blockading nations of Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Bahrain first decided to boycott the tournament but then reversed their decision. This move was widely welcomed by everyone as it gives a slight hope that things could become better between the Arab neighbors.
Saudi Arabia came to the finals yet again but lost to Bahrain by 1-0. However, Saudi mid fielder Abdullah Atif became the best player of the tournament. Bahrain also surprised everyone by defeating the 10 times champion and host Qatar, as well as heavyweight Iraq, to qualify for the finals where they defeated Saudi Arabia. The national team of Saudi Arabia flew in a direct flight from Riyadh to Doha, the first flight in 2+ years of an air blockade posed by Saudi Arabia.
Iraq is important to note here because it made it straight to semifinals defeating Qatar and UAE along the way. It was a breeze of joy to those thousands of protestors who are camped out in Baghdad, demanding a complete overhaul of the political system.
It is noteworthy here that all the matches were played in a healthy and competitive spirit. The spectators were respectful and all the teams were cheered and celebrated. Saudi and Emarati players were welcomed which created a massive dent in the ongoing high tensions regarding the Qatar blockade.