Qanas, the official mascot of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-19 Championship Bahrain 2016, is fast finding his way into the hearts of football fans as preparations for the tournament, which will be held from October 13-30, enter the final stages.
Following the official launch of activities during a visit to the Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC), the friendly falcon has been flying his way around Bahrain’s shopping district and schools, much to the delight of football fans. Most recently, Qanas was spotted engaging with fans, both young and old, at one of the country’s biggest and most popular shopping mall – City Centre Bahrain.
Earlier in the week, visitors and shoppers at Seef Mall were treated to a pleasant surprise as Qanas, flanked by members of the Local Organising Commitee (LOC), distributed gifts and tournament merchandise to raise greater awareness of the AFC U-19 Championship Bahrain 2016.
Hassan Ismail Mohamed, Acting General Secretary of Bahrain Football Association, said, “Qanas is indeed making a name for himself, not just here in Bahrain but around the Asian football community. Engaging the community is critical to ensure the success of the AFC U-19 Championship Bahrain 2016.
“We will continue to reach out to different segments of the community, whether it is through mascot activities organised by us or leveraging on existing community programmes. Our aim is to offer opportunities for people to create a strong affinity to the tournament.
“The AFC U-19 Championship Bahrain 2016 represents a key milestone for us at Bahrain Football Association and we have every confidence that our preparations will culminate in a memorable tournament for all of Asia.”
As part of the promotional activities, the Local Organising Committee is also working in partnership with the BOC to offer young athletes of various national teams free tickets to the tournament.
Qanas will continue to be mainstay throughout the AFC U-19 Championship Bahrain 2016, also appearing at the Bahrain International Airport from October 8-11, as teams and fans begin to flock to the Arabian Peninsula before starring at the official opening ceremony on October 13 at the Khalifa Sports City Stadium.
Source: the-afc.com