Duplays Expands Ronaldinho Soccer Academy Partnership into Saudi Arabia

DUPLAYS, the leading organiser of leisure sport activities in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, has actually revealed it will broaden its local network into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by releasing the Ronaldinho Soccer Academy (RSA) at a totally air-conditioned, indoor multi-sport facility in Jeddah next year.

Spanning 10,000 square meters of indoor and outside sport fields, DUPLAYS will open its first fully-owned, multi-sport indoor dome in north Jeddah in Q1 of 2017.

The news follows hot-on-the-heels of Ronaldinho, the former Brazil, Barcelona, Air Conditioning Milan and Paris Saint-Germain superstar, going to Dubai last week to have a look at development at his eponymous soccer academy, which runs at the DUPLAYS-managed Koora Dome in Al Wasl Sports Club, Jaddaf, Dubai.

" Taking our successful leisure league principle to Saudi Arabia was always a core pillar of our local expansion strategy and kicking off that journey in our own multi-sport indoor center with an item as engaging as the Ronaldinho Soccer Academy highlights that our proficiency and technique has actually paid off," said Ravi Bhusari, Co-founder of DUPLAYS.

" RSA combines the passion and fun of Brazilian football-- played the 'Ronaldinho method'-- and fits well with the ethos of the DUPLAYS objective to 'link communities through sport'. We believe our 'build first, arrange second' entry technique into the Kingdom will provide a greater effect on the community by providing accessible, budget friendly sport for all," added Bhusari.

For his part, Ronaldinho, who won the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea 2 league titles, a Champions League and the 2005 Ballon d'Or while at Barcelona, is anticipating big things as he readies to debut his homegrown academy idea in the area's largest nation.

" Dubai has opened my eyes to the broader area and I am definitely thrilled to be taking the Ronaldinho Soccer Academy to Jeddah, which is among the area's most dynamic and flourishing cities," stated Ronaldinho. "Saudi Arabia is one of the standard footballing power-houses of Asia and the skill is everywhere. We are extremely excited about refining the skills of the next generation of young Saudi gamers at our brand-new academy."

"In DUPLAYS, we have actually discovered a partner that offers us the ideal balance in between managing the RSA project and establishing more expansion chances throughout the region," included the two-time FIFA World Player of the Year.

The Ronaldinho Soccer Academy (RSA) opened in Dubai previously this year and is the first-of-its-kind in the region. More than 100 kids are mentored by qualified coaches from Ronaldinho's youth group back in Brazil, who infuse enjoyable, friendship and team effort into the RSA football curriculum.