An afternoon with soccer legend Ronaldinho and his desire to promote all sports

By K.R. Nayar

While Ronaldinho is known more as a soccer legend, he is equally fond of all other sports. This was revealed during the announcement of the 'Emirates sport in 50 years' exhibition as part of Expo 2020 in which, among other sports, there will be the World Cricket Expo and the World Golf exhibitions as well

A smile for all from soccer legend Ronaldinho. Photos by K.R. Nayar

It’s always special when a legend in a particular sport expresses his appreciation for other sports too. The legendary soccer player Ronaldinho, who was invited to announce the 'Emirates sport in 50 years’ exhibition, while hailing the city of Dubai, said: “This is an amazing city and it is such a rich sports hub. As someone who loves all sports, not just football, this place is amazing. I’ve heard that there is a lot happening here all the time.”

Ronaldinho also mentioned that he would be happy to be a part of the country’s progress. “This is a very forward-looking country. I see a very bright future for this country in all fields, and surely in sports. It has accomplished a lot already and they are sure to accomplish more in the future. I hope that I can be part of that growth.”

Meeting a legend in person is always a great feeling, and it gets more wonderful when one gets the opportunity to ask him questions and he responds with a smile. And that is what happened on Tuesday afternoon with Ronaldinho.

Memories of how he entertained every soccer fan with his skills came gushing as he responded to the media wearing a black mask but happy to take it off to offer a smile. His genuine love towards wanting to support sportsmen came to the fore when he said “ I’ve been thinking for a while of doing something to give back to this beautiful country through a soccer school.”

Ronaldinho before the start of the press meet 

What prompted Ronaldinho to consider starting a soccer school in Dubai was the enthusiasm for the game among youngsters here. “I know the people here, especially the youngsters....they love their sport and football in particular. I have an idea to open an academy to inspire youngsters to take up this beautiful game,” added the former Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, and Milan player.

Ronaldinho was recently granted the 10-year golden residency visa, which is UAE’s long-term visa.  This icon has scored 266 goals from 699 club appearances in his career. For his national team, Brazil, Ronaldinho has netted 33 goals from his 97 matches.

This exhibition, which is being organized by BB Sports, is expected to be one of the best ever sports exhibitions and is set to attract sports lovers from all over the world. Abdullah Murad, General Coordinator of the exhibition, revealed that this sports exhibition will be held with the active participation of all the clubs, federations, associations, and influential sports personalities in the UAE.

The exhibition will be taking place during EXPO 2020 that will be held from October 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022 in the UAE based on the theme of ‘Connecting minds and Creating the future.’ BB SPORTS will connect through innovative events like the World Cricket Expo and the World Golf Exhibition among others.

Cricket and Golf are two sports that have won the hearts of the UAE sporting fraternity over the years. From a highly improbable start in the early eighties when many were skeptical about cricket being played in the desert, today it has earned laurels from cricket lovers around the world. The UAE has hosted the maximum One Day Internationals (ODI) in the world and is a very popular neutral venue for hosting Test matches, T20 Internationals, and ODIs. It is the only country to have hosted the world’s two most popular Twenty20 franchise leagues such as the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Pakistan Super League (PSL). Today it is the hub of world cricket and is the headquarters of the International Cricket Council (ICC) that governs the game.

Golf started from the Emirates Golf Club in 1988 and spread very fast to become one of UAE’s most popular sport. Like cricket, golf too was not something that people considered playing in the desert. Today the UAE boasts of some of the best golf courses with golf lovers flocking from different parts of the world to play in the cash-rich tournaments held here annually. The Desert Classic Golf tournament is highly sought after by the legends of the game these days.

BB SPORTS aims to give all exhibition visitors and participants the best cricketing and golfing experience through their wide range of activities. There will be the opportunity to meet the legends from these two sports, top manufactures of cricket and golf equipment, gear, and apparel, as well as network with people from related industries who work off the field to make these two sports as exciting as it is today. Participants can also look forward to getting introduced to some of the exciting technological advances that are likely to be implemented in these sports in the future.

Through the various seminars and training programs being planned for this event, BB SPORTS is looking forward to creating a discussion on the various nuances in these sports and highlight the need for fitness through nutrition and wellness to produce magical performances on the field. The World Cricket Expo and World Golf Exhibition will thus serve as a one-stop platform set to take its visitors and participants on a journey through the world of cricket and golf and everything associated with it.

World Cricket Expo and World Golf Exhibition hopes to serve as a conduit for networking, creating relationships, expanding one’s business, with the opportunity to interact with officials of the governing bodies that boosted cricket and golf in the region and beyond, as wells as interacting with the media.

It will be exciting to seize this once-in-a-lifetime chance to be a part of the World Cricket Expo and World Golf Exhibition and add more creativity and brilliance to your dreams by connecting with the present and future from these two sports.

For more details contact Abdul Jaleel on 0552330056, Advocate Mathew -0557552784, or Thomas Philip, Managing Director, Petrotek General Trading and Director of Kerala Premier League Dubai, on +971506513143. Visit www.bbsports.ae or email: jaleel@bbsports.ae.