Inaugural IMAAD 6-a-side Football Tournament

• Event Review
• League Tables and knockout fixtures
• Pictures (please allow time, pictures are excellent quality)
• More Pictures (please allow time, pictures are excellent quality)
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Event Review

On Sunday 13th April 203, 11 teams took part in the inaugural Imaad 6-aside tournament held at Reading University. In the stadium there were over 100 players and spectators, 36 games took place, 3 were decided by penalty shoot-out and on the day over 100 goals were scored by the teams participating.

All in all then, the tournament was action-packed and enjoyed by all the teams involved. The 11 teams were split into two leagues, one with 6 and the other with 5 teams. The top 4 teams in each league qualified for the knockout competition whilst the remaining teams played for the wooden spoon.

League 1 was a thrilling league to watch - with the teams fairly equal in terms of ability, it seemed that discipline and efficiency were the prized assets that proved invaluable for teams hoping to do well. In this respect, 'Real Baghdad' led the way although not by much - they were level on points with 'Team Haseeb' and 'Team Elahi' at the summit of League 1 but qualified top by way of having the best goals scored figure. With three teams proving so strong, this meant only one further spot remained for the other three teams who played for the 4th place with the kind of ferocity one would expect. 'Operation Iraqi Freedom' twice threw away games in which they led to finish fifth, whilst 'Sparta Pravda' battled hard but couldn't find the breakthrough in a difficult last few games against the top teams. 'Ifti Utd' therefore finished 4th, which was richly deserved as they were able to grind out the draws needed to accompany their only win against 'Team Pravda'.

League 2 was arguably an even tighter affair. The top team 'Cyber-Spice', though undefeated, won two of their matches and drew the remaining two whilst the bottom placed team 'Real Madras', also drew 2 matches but lost the remaining two. Underdogs, 'Team Aslam', finished second, also undefeated whilst the remaining qualification places were filled by 'Medina Boys' on four points and 'Imaad' on three points.

Quarter Finals - the high flyers from the league stages proved too much for the underdogs as Teams Haseeb, Elahi, Real Baghdad and Cyber-Spice went through comfortably at the expense of their opponents.

Semi Finals - This is where the tournament's gravity was really felt. Team Haseeb managed to overcome Cyber-Spice in a tight physical encounter but the other semi-final between Real Baghdad and Team Elahi proved too close to call. Team Elahi had the better of the chances but were unable to find a winner. Cruelly they were knocked out through a pressure filled penalty shoot-out, with plenty of vocal presence from the crowd, and consigned to the 3rd/4th play-off.

3rd/4th place Playoff - Time constraints meant that a penalty shootout had to decide the outcome of this game, team Elahi again succumbed to the pressure to give Cyber-Spice 3rd place in the inaugural Imaad 6-aside tournament.

Imaad 6-aside Final - The final was a very tense match in which both team did not want to concede the first and most likely decisive goal. Chances were few and far between and so for the 3rd time, a penalty shoot-out was declared in order to decided the championship game. With the crowds focus on the finale, there was plenty of vocal pressure on the teams to put away their penalties. Ultimately though, just as they had showed resiliency from their very first game, it was Real Baghdad who held their nerve to record a famous victory over a disappointed team Haseeb. It was fitting end to a tense, exciting and action packed tournament.

CONGRATULATIONS to Real Baghdad and their captain Shafq, who are the first Imaad 6-aside champions, feel free to browse through the pictures section to see them parade their triumph and observe pictures from various stages of the tournament itself. Any feedback on the site or tournament itself would also be appreciated.

We hope team Shafiq will return to defend their crown in the next tournament, provisionally scheduled for August 2003.

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