Hendry, Canizares upstage top draws in Perth

The organising committee of the 21st Gulf Cup football tournament yesterday revealed the official mascot of the tournament and ahead of the draw ceremony, set for tonight at the National Museum near the Marina Club in Manama. Millions of football fans in the region will witness the draw live via several broadcasting channels, most of which will be present at the venue tonight. The draw, scheduled to commence at 7pm, also promises to attract huge media interest as the date of tournament kick off approaches. This edition cup will be hosted by Bahrain from January 5 to 18 next year, with eight teams from across the Gulf region vying for glory. They are Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Qatar, Oman, the UAE and Bahrain. As defending champions, Kuwait will be given top seed in Group 'A', while hosts Bahrain will head Group 'B'. The remaining teams will be divided into these two groups based on their latest FIFA ranking, issued on October 5. Also during today's draw ceremony, the name of the mascot will be announced, while 'Sitenevent', the French company supervising the draw, will reveal a special surprise for the attendees. Having several French technicians and experts on board, Sitenevent has already finalised preparations for the draw by holding the final rehearsal session yesterday at the museum. Representatives of the GCC countries and other invitees have already yesterday to attend the event. Members of the GCC technical and media committees also reachd Bahrain over the past two days. The organising committee also prepared a complete media centre at the National Museum to facilitate the work of the media representatives attending today's function. Meanwhile, Supreme Council for Youth and Sports chairman and Bahrain Olympic Committee president Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa welcomed the guests from other GCC countries who will be attending the draw ceremony. Shaikh Nasser stressed the importance of Gulf Cup as one of the most prestigious sporting events that came to reflect the extent of cohesion and brotherhood among the people of Gulf region. He expresses the keenness of Bahrain to exert all efforts that would ensure a very successful tournament, which is in line with the directives of His Majesty King Hamad. Shaikh Nasser said the Gulf Cup has gained a special place in the hearts of the all segments of the GCC societies and expressed his happiness for organizing this edition cup in Bahrain for the fourth time and return to the cradle of its launch in the Kingdom of Bahrain in 1970. The Supreme Council chairman said the Gulf Cup draw is a great opportunity for Bahrain to show the media coming from other GCC countries on the business volume of the sports facilities being under renovation to host the matches and training sessions of the teams taking part. He noted that previous experiences undergone by Bahrain in organising regional tournaments underlines the outstanding reputation enjoyed by the Kingdom in its organizational abilities. Shaikh Nasser said he believes that Bahrain now has distinctive sports facilities and highly experienced cadres who can provide ideal conditions to ensure the success of the 21st Gulf Cup. In conclusion, Shaikh Nasser expressed sincere wishes for all GCC teams success in this upcoming tournament and reflect the development of football in the Gulf region.