Embassy Football Fest kicks off

Dhaka, 13 Dec - The Embassy Football Fest 2024 began Friday at the International School Dhaka (ISD) ground in the Bashundhara Residential Area in the capital, featuring over twenty countries and global organizations, said a press release.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh and Game Play jointly organized this tournament.

Dr. Mohammad Nazrul Islam, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, Megan Boldin, Charg, d'Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka, Ajit Singh, High Commissioner of Canada, Syed Ahmed Maroof, High Commissioner of Pakistan, Abdul Aziz Fahad M. Al Ibrahim, Deputy Head of Mission of the Saudi Embassy, the Ambassadors of Norway and Malaysia, and senior officials from the Russian, Netherlands, and Italian Embassies were present at the opening ceremony, hosted by Faisal Titumir, chairman of Game Play.

In this tournament, Ajit Singh, the High Commissioner of Canada, is personally leading his team as captain.

In the opening match, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh team faced off against the Palestine Embassy team. Palestine won the match 4-0.
Just two days earlier, it was confirmed that Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.

Therefore, the Saudi Embassy team's presence at the Embassy Football Fest was particularly lively, as they arrived with a replica of the FIFA World Cup trophy.

During the opening ceremony, Abdul Aziz Fahad M. Al Ibrahim, Deputy Head of Mission of the Saudi Embassy, expressed enthusiasm by saying that "The 2034 FIFA World Cup in Saudi Arabia will be the largest football tournament in the history. By hosting this event, we will show the world how generous and hospitable we are as a nation."

At the opening ceremony, the CEO of Game Play, Maksum-ul-Hossain, said, "The primary goal of organizing the Embassy Football Fest is to promote peace, harmony, and brotherhood." Faisal Titumir, chairman of Game Play, stated that "With the participation of a significant number of countries, the Embassy Football Fest will demonstrate Bangladesh's unity and its belief in peaceful coexistence with nations around the world."
The closing ceremony and award distribution will take place tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon, with the president of the Bangladesh Football Federation, Tabith Awal, as the chief guest.

Since 2018, Game Play has been organizing the Embassy Fest. In addition to four football tournaments, Game Play has previously organized a cricket tournament as part of this initiative. The British High Commission was crowned champion in the last football tournament in 2023, while the U.S. Embassy finished as runners-up.

The teams participating in this year's fifth edition include host Bangladesh, U.S. Embassy, British High Commission, Australian High Commission, Canadian High Commission, Saudi Embassy, Pakistan High Commission, Indian High Commission, Russian Embassy, United Nations, Nordic (joint team of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), Indonesian Embassy, Malaysian High Commission, European Union, World Health Organization, World Bank, Palestine Embassy, Netherlands Embassy, Turkish Embassy, and Italian Embassy.

The title sponsor of Embassy Football Fest 2024 is Saudia Airlines. Co-sponsors include Brothers Furnishers and Concord. Hospitality partners are The Westin and Sheraton. Ice Cream partner is Polar. Healthcare partner is United Healthcare's venue partner is ISD, hygiene partner is Partex, beverage partner is Bruvana, mental health and wellness partner is Nirvana, and hydration partner is Dr. Water.

The media partner for the entire event is Jamuna Television.