Tanzifco crowned champs after thrilling finale

Tanzifco players and officials celebrate with the winners’ trophy after their win over OutLook in the final of the 2014 Workers’ Cup. PICTURE: Najeer FerokeBy Sports Reporter/DohaThe 2014 Workers Cup came to an end as thousands of fans enjoyed a memorable night of football in the Aspire Dome.A near capacity crowd of almost 3500 people watched Tanzifco celebrate a nail-biting penalty shoot-out victory in the final over opponents Outlook. Following a tense 2-2 draw, Tanzifco held their nerve to win 4-2 on spot-kicks. Earlier in the evening Amana sealed a third place finish courtesy of a 1-0 win over Gulf Contracting.Their victory was watched by Hassan al-Thawadi, secretary general of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) and Nasser al-Khater, executive director of Marketing and Communications for the SC. They were joined by Mansoor al-Ansari, Chief of Operations for the Qatar Stars League (QSL).Currently in its second year, both the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy and the QSL sponsored the Workers’ Cup as part of the commitment to use football as a tool to accelerate social and human development. The tournament was organised by local events company QSports.“It was a great honour for me to witness the final and the players’ incredible passion for football,” said Secretary General al-Thawadi. “To hear the crowd getting behind their team and see the commitment of the players showcases how football can inspire different communities to come together and enjoy the game.”QSL chief al-Ansari added: “To see such raw passion for the sport was a real pleasure. The level of support for the players was incredible, while the standard of football was very enjoyable. I think everyone agrees this was a great success.”The tournament ended with the spectacular prize-giving ceremony, which ended in Tanzifco lifting the trophy.“It was a great moment for me to win a tournament like this with my team,” said Tanzifco’s Nepalese defender Til Badur. “I have never witnessed anything like it before. The venue and the support we received today and throughout the whole tournament was really great because it encourages people to take part in sports.”Tanzifco players were awarded a cheque for QR 18,000 while second-placed Outlook took home QR 10,000. Amana secured QR 7,000 for the third placed finish. Amana player Abdul Skahur said: “It means a lot for me to play here with my team. I have played a lot at home in Uganda and to be able to continue here in Qatar and get opportunities like this is very important for us.”Meanwhile, Raj Kumar from runner-up team Outlook expressed his “great joy and pride” at being named the Best Player of the 2014 Workers Cup after scoring an impressive 17 goals. He was awarded a cheque for QR 2,000. The Best Goalkeeper and Sportsmanship awardees each received QR 1,500. Throughout the tournament, a total of 52 matches were played, with 241 goals scored in 3120 minutes of action.“Our support for the Workers’ Cup stems from our bid commitment to employ football as an inspirational means of social integration for the many important expatriate communities in Qatar,” said al-Khater, executive director of Marketing and Communications for the SC. “Therefore we are delighted to see how this initiative has grown again this year. The expatriate communities in Qatar form an essential component of our outreach efforts towards developing grassroots football participation ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.”