The Saudi national team players confirm their aspirations for a strong start in Gulf 27 and stress the importance of public support.

Hammam Al-Hammami, the Saudi national team player, confirmed that “Al-Akhdar” is looking forward to making a strong start in the Gulf Cup “Gulf 27”, when it faces its Kuwaiti counterpart in the opening match, stressing the importance of public support in the process of competing for the title.

Speaking to the media before the confrontation, Al-Hammami said: “An important match, and we look forward to starting the tournament on a good level against our brothers in the Kuwaiti national team. We need the support of our fans and their standing with us, and with God’s permission we will be able to make them happy.”

Regarding the public and media pressures demanding to achieve the title, he said: “The Saudi national team is always required to achieve any tournament in which it participates, and we are ready, whether for the players or the technical and administrative staff, and we look forward to achieving what the fans desire.”

Regarding his first actual participation with the Saudi national team in the Gulf Championship, and his aspirations for it to be his starting point, he explained: “I hope so, as representing the national team is a great honor for me and for any player, and it is also a responsibility, and we look forward to making the fans happy at the end of the tournament.”

Regarding the absence of the Saudi national team from winning the Gulf Cup for 23 years, and whether this puts additional pressure on the players, he said: “This represents an incentive for us to maintain our focus in the matches, and we will deal with the tournament step by step, and focus first on facing Kuwait and achieving victory, then we will continue our journey to achieve what we all desire.”

Al-Hammami concluded his speech by emphasizing the importance of public support, saying: “We need the support of our fans and their standing with us, and, God willing, we will make them happy.”

Nawaf Bushel, the Saudi national team player, confirmed the positive atmosphere inside the “Green” camp, despite the exclusion of Musab Al-Jawir for disciplinary reasons, stressing that the players’ focus is on facing Kuwait, in the opening of the “Gulf 27” Gulf Cup competitions, which is hosted by Jeddah.

Speaking to the media before the confrontation, Bushell said: “The atmosphere is very positive, and what happened was an administrative decision, and we as players are focused on the match, and there is nothing that affects us. Those who are there are good and blessed, and we look forward to achieving victory.”

He added: “Our preparations are great, and our focus is initially on the Kuwait match and achieving the three points, and after that we will proceed step by step to reach our goal and make our fans happy.”

Regarding the importance of the public attendance in the opening match, he said: “The Saudi fans support us in all forums, so what about when the match is in Jeddah? With full appreciation to our fans in the rest of the regions, but the Jeddah fans are always different with their presence, and we hope that it will motivate us to achieve victory and make them happy.”

Regarding facing the Kuwaiti team, which holds the record for the number of Gulf Championship titles, Bushell explained: “The Kuwaiti team has its history, respect and appreciation, and it is an ancient team, but we prepared well for the match, and we look forward to achieving victory and making our dear fans happy.”

Regarding the nature of Gulf competitions, and whether they differ psychologically or technically, Bushell stressed that the technical aspect represents the most important factor, adding: “Applying the coach’s tactics is the most important, and with God’s grace, we will be able to achieve what we aspire to.”

Jassim Al-Rumaihi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Football Association, confirmed that preparations have been completed for the launch of the Gulf Cup tournament in Jeddah. Pointing out that the Federation is working to develop the tournament and enhance its public and media presence.

Al-Rumaihi welcomed the attendees, thanking the Saudi Football Federation and the relevant authorities for their efforts in organizing the tournament, while Majid Al-Sahib, Secretary-General of the Saudi Football Federation, extended his warmest congratulations and blessings, on the occasion of Saudi National Day, to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Crown Prince, praising their support for the tournament and their generous patronage, in addition to the support of the Minister of Sports.

Al-Sahib explained that the championship competitions will be held in two stadiums: King Abdullah Sports City Stadium and Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium. Pointing out that about 600 media professionals were accredited to cover the event, and the necessary facilities were provided to them. He added that the opening ceremony will be simple and bear a Gulf cultural character.

Regarding television broadcast rights, Al-Rumaihi explained that the Gulf Federation contacted various Gulf channels, and an agreement was reached with the “Al-Kass”, “Oman” and “Shasha” channels, stressing that the door is still open for sports channels wishing to purchase the rights.

He pointed out that the prices of transmission rights did not witness an increase or decrease compared to the previous version, calling on interested channels to apply to purchase the rights.

Al-Rumaihi revealed that the upcoming Gulf Junior Championship will witness the participation of the teams of China, Morocco and Egypt, in addition to the Gulf teams, explaining that the Executive Committee of the Gulf Federation is working to develop the tournament in various aspects.

Regarding holding the tournament during this time of the year, and the hot weather that accompanies it in Jeddah, Al-Sahib said that the Saudi Federation is committed to a specific schedule, in light of the pressure of the tournaments hosted by the Kingdom.

Al-Rumaihi called on the media to support the attendance of the masses. Especially since the tournament coincides with the Saudi National Day, he expressed his hope that the celebrations would be complete with the public attendance.

He explained that the Gulf Federation contacted the federations of the Gulf states in order to support the fans of their teams and urge them to buy tickets. Pointing out that the turnout at the beginning of the tournaments may be limited before it increases gradually, stressing that Jeddah is a city known for its passion for football and its stadiums are filled with fans.

Regarding ticket prices, Al-Rumaihi confirmed that the Gulf Federation coordinated with the organizing committee, and after consulting with it, the current prices were approved, explaining that - from the Federation’s point of view - they are commensurate with the size of the tournament, compared to the prices of Asian and other championships.

For his part, Al-Sahib explained that dealing with Jeddah during the tournament will not be limited to a specific area for fans; Pointing out that the city is distinguished by its cultural and entertainment diversity, he called on visitors and audiences to enjoy its various atmosphere and landmarks.

Regarding the financial returns of the tournament, Al-Rumaihi said that it is too early to determine the size of the revenues, expressing his hope to achieve returns that exceed the previous edition, revealing the presence of a number of supporters and sponsors, in addition to new agreements expected to be concluded soon.

He stressed that the multiplicity of commercial partnerships represents a gain for the Gulf Federation and contributes to strengthening and developing the tournament.