Kuwait football's brightest stars shine at Zain's annual Excellence Awards

Kuwait Times

4 days ago

KUWAIT: Zain Kuwait, the strategic partner of the Kuwait Football Association, honored the stars of the 2024-2025 Zain Premier League (Dawri Zain) season during the annual Excellence Awards, which brought together an elite group of Kuwaiti sports stars, media figures and sports personalities. The event marked the conclusion of the third season of Zain's strategic partnership with the KFA, reaffirming the company's commitment to supporting sports and youth in Kuwait, contributing to the development of Kuwaiti football, and encouraging players and coaching staff to achieve peak performance.
The event was attended by Sheikh Ahmad Al-Yousef Al-Sabah, President of the Kuwait Football Association; Waleed Al-Khashti, Chief Corporate Affairs & Relations Officer at Zain Kuwait; senior KFA officials; members of the technical committee responsible for selecting this year's award winners; honored players; along with sports leaders and media representatives.
In his opening remarks, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Yousef Al-Sabah stated: 'I am very pleased to be here today at Zain, this leading company that has provided tremendous and impactful support to the Kuwait Football Association over the past three years.'
He added: 'I extend my sincere thanks to the Chairman, members of the Board of Directors, and Bader Al-Kharafi for this fruitful collaboration. This outstanding event and its excellent organization truly reflect their genuine commitment to the advancement of football in Kuwait.'
He continued: 'It also brings me great joy to see this talented group of young players, who represent the future of Kuwaiti football. I wish them continued success and progress, to see them in the Premier League and eventually in our national teams.'
He concluded: 'In collaboration with Zain, we at the KFA promise to provide even greater support in the upcoming season, which kicks off on September 14, aiming for an even more competitive and successful league. We will also place special focus on further developing the Under-20 League. Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone who contributed to this success.'
In his remarks during the event, Waleed Al-Khashti said: 'It is my pleasure to welcome you all to Zain's Wonderful World, where we gather to celebrate the conclusion of an exciting sports season and to honor an elite group of athletes from the 2024-2025 Zain Premier League.'
He added: 'We believe that the role of the private sector in supporting youth and sports is not optional, but a national responsibility and a cornerstone for building a vibrant and ambitious society. For this reason, we remain committed to supporting and motivating sports talent to excel, so that Kuwait's name continues to shine in regional and international arenas. One clear example of this is the great success of the Khaleeji Zain 26 tournament held earlier this year, which united the GCC nations here in Kuwait.'
He further stated: 'At Zain, we view sports support as more than just a marketing partnership. Our aim is to instill a spirit of achievement and contribute to building an integrated sports ecosystem that leaves a positive impact on society. We take great pride in our partnership with the Kuwait Football Association, which has resulted in key milestones in recent years, and we look forward to an even more distinguished season ahead.'
He added: 'We also believe that sports is an effective platform for instilling values such as teamwork, perseverance, and discipline, values we are equally committed to fostering within our work environment at Zain.'
He continued: 'Today, we honor an outstanding group of players and athletes who excelled last season, recognizing their exceptional performance on the field. We are also pleased to introduce a new addition to this event — honoring a group of talented youth players from the age categories — a gesture aimed at encouraging them at the start of their careers and nurturing their talents to become future stars.'
He also said: 'I would also like to take this opportunity to extend my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the Kuwait Football Association and the members of the technical committee who worked tirelessly with great professionalism to select this year's Excellence Award winners in a transparent manner.'
He concluded: 'At Zain, we renew our deep commitment to supporting everything that helps elevate Kuwait's name, whether on the sports field or in the fields of innovation and technological progress.'
This year, Zain honored winners in the following main categories, as announced at the beginning of the season:
At the senior level, Mohammed Daham of Kuwait SC was named Player of the Season, receiving a prize of KD 10,000. His teammate Yousef Nasser earned the Top Local Scorer title, along with KD 5,000. Vitor Vieira from Fahaheel SC was recognized as the Top Professional Scorer, also receiving KD 5,000. The Goalkeeper of the Season award went to Saud Al-Houshan of Kuwait SC, who was awarded KD 5,000. Nebojša Jovović, also from Kuwait SC, was honored as Coach of the Season, taking home KD 3,000. The Rising Star of the Season title was awarded to Jassim Matar of Qadsia SC, with a prize of KD 2,000.
Zain also celebrated standout performers in the youth divisions. In the Blue League (Under 21), Saleh Al-Mutheb of Kazma was named Best Player. His teammate Hussein Kankouni received the award for Best Goalkeeper, while Abdullah Al-Awadhi from Qadsia SC was the Top Scorer.
In the Under 19 League, Fadhel Al-Sarraf of Qadsia SC claimed the Best Player title and also emerged as Top Scorer. His teammate Abdulaziz Abdeen was named Best Goalkeeper. In the Under 17 League, Abdullah Al-Rasheedi from Al-Arabi SC won Best Player. Ahmed Al-Hazzaa of Al-Salmiya SC was awarded Best Goalkeeper, and Jaber Sanan of Kazma was the league's Top Scorer. In the Under 15 League, Saad Al-Shammari of Qadsia SC was recognized as Best Player. His teammates Hussein Dashti received the Best Goalkeeper award, and Mohammed Al-Yousef earned the Top Scorer title.
To ensure the highest level of transparency in the selection process, the KFA formed a technical committee at the beginning of the season, consisting of distinguished former national players and experts: Thamer Enad (Committee Head), Jamal Mubarak, Faisal Borqaba, Waleed Ali and Mubarak Al-Woqayan. Zain extended its sincere thanks and appreciation to them for their great efforts and high professionalism throughout the season.
Zain expressed its pride in this partnership with the Kuwait Football Association, which has elevated the professional standards of Kuwaiti football competitions. This season, matches featured strong performances and widespread fan engagement.
Zain firmly believes that the private sector plays a vital role in supporting sports and youth, not only through financial sponsorship, but by actively contributing to the creation of a sustainable sports environment that fosters excellence, innovation and higher competition levels locally.
As this season concludes with the Excellence Awards, Zain reaffirms its commitment to continuing this leadership role in cooperation with the Kuwait Football Association, under a strategic partnership that includes sponsorship of the Premier League (Dawri Zain), HH the Amir's Cup, HH the Crown Prince's Cup and the First Division League.
Zain affirms that its support for Kuwaiti sports will remain a fundamental pillar of its social responsibility strategy, with the goal of elevating national sports, inspiring future generations to excel, and helping Kuwaiti sports achieve honorable representation in regional and international competitions.