Wuhoosh Afriqia won the COPA Coca-Cola football tournament held in Qatar, beating evolution 1-0 in the final.In addition to being the first winners of COPA Coca-Cola in Qatar, Wuhoosh Afriqia will also be attending the semi and final games of the Euro Cup 2012 in Ukraine.COPA Coca-Cola is a grassroots football initiative fostered to exemplify the company’s longstanding ethos to live positively and open happiness. This initiative is aimed at inspiring the youth empowered to achieve their dreams and spread happiness while taking onboard goals they thought was never possible. Through Coca-Cola efforts, the youth of today can become professional football stars tomorrow.Coca-Cola adopted the concept and brought it to the Middle East starting in Iraq and Palestinian territories previously, and launching in Oman, Saudi Arabia and finally Qatar. The teams played on professional sized fields to the rules and regulations of FIFA. Coca-Cola plans to spread this initiative across the region by adding new countries from season to season. Originated in Mexico in 1998, the first COPA Coca-Cola football teams were established in Latin America for teenagers aged 13-15. The program was initiated to determine the top male and female youth football team in Mexico. Today, COPA Coca-Cola has touched the lives of more than 600,000 students through at least 10,000 schools and/or youth club teams in the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia. In 2009, Nigerian teenager Mikel Agu was a participant in COPA Coca-Cola and is now recognised as a player in FC Porto Portugal at the FIFA World Cup. “Through football, the world’s most popular sport, Coca-Cola identified a need to connect with the youth who aspire to be professional soccer players. Thus, we brought about this new grassroots initiative to the Middle East that reiterates the pillars that the Coca-Cola Company believes in,” said Antoine Tayyar, Public Affairs and Communications Director of Coca-Cola Middle East.“Coca-Cola Middle East encourages young Middle Eastern football players to participate in COPA Coca-Cola as a stepping stone for the professional leagues,” added Antoine Tayyar. “By 2014, we hope to see Qatari members of COPA playing in the Brazil World Cup and more members by 2022 in the Qatar World Cup.”