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HIGH-FLYING Muharraq Club, one of the kingdom's oldest and most popular sporting associations, were this weekend celebrating success on and off the pitch.
The kingdom's soccer stars became the first Bahraini club to win a continental championship just days after signing a six-figure sponsorship deal with a leading Bahrain developer.
Muharraq took the AFC Cup with a 5-4 victory over hosts Al Safa of Lebanon in Lebanon after a 5-1 home leg victory. A hat-trick from Leandson 'Rico' da Silva and a brace from Mahmood Abdulrahman sealed the cup for the Bahrain league champions.
Rico, the tournament's top scorer with 20 gaosl in 12 matches, was inspirational and fans may soon start calling for a statue to be built in his honour at Diyar Al Muharraq - a city to be built close by which is said to be inspired by the Muharraqi culture and traditions.
It reaffirmed its commitment to the local community - and young people in particular - with the announcement of a sponsorship package believed to be worth BD100,000.
Abdulhakeem Alkhayyat, chairman of Diyar Al Muharraq, said: "As a Bahraini company with close ties to Muharraq, we are immensely proud to be associated with one of the kingdom's oldest and most prestigious sport clubs.
"This signing is a symbolic bond that signals the start of our relationship with Muharraq Club, one that we are sure will be beneficial for the club, its existing players, the fans and the youth of Bahrain, many of whom have aspirations to become involved in sport."
Present at the signing ceremony, held at Bait Abdullah Al Zayed, House of Bahrain Press Heritage in Muharraq, were General Organisation of Youth and Sports (Goys) president Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Diyar Al Muharraq's chief executive officer Aaref Hejres, Muharraq Club chairman Shaikh Ahmed bin Ali Al Khalifa and players.
The initiative is part of the development's wider aim of promoting positive lifestyle change across the community, as well as within the development itself, whose all-inclusive vision offers housing across the income ranges.
CEO Hejres added: "We aim to provide as many opportunities for the younger generation as we can, in order to develop the future talent of Bahrain, both through such community support and the many sporting facilities that we are developing within Diyar Al Muharraq. After today, I for one will be following the club's successes even more closely from now on."
Established in 1928, the club has produced many players who have gone on to represent Bahrain in international competitions.
Chairman Shaikh Ahmed said: "Diyar Al Muharraq's generous support will ensure that Muharraq Club will go from strength to strength, building upon our success of recent years, allowing us to compete even more effectively in both local, regional and international competitions."
The highly successful outfit, which boasts a large and loyal following, is currently champions of Bahrain's Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa League and holders of the King's Cup as well as the Crown Prince Cup. Its basketball team won the local league in 2007, and the volleyball team has won over seven GCC championship titles in recent years.
