DOHA: With the final just days away, the Emir Cup trophy tour is kicking up a storm in the country with more schools welcoming the QFA delegation to their premises for students to have the chance to take pictures with the trophy.

The 45th edition of the Emir Cup has reached the semifinals stage with the last-four clashes set to take place on May 13 and 14 with the final slated for May 19.

Asian community schools have also stepped up in welcoming the QFA delegation as students have been known to engage in Q&A session ahead of the decisive stages of the tournament.

The QFA delegation handling the trophy tour campaign visited the following schools: the Bangladesh Mashoor-ul-Haque Memorial High School (MHM), the Ideal Indian School, the Birla Public School and the Pakistan Education Centre (PEC).

The QFA delegation was represented by Ali Al-Mahmoud, Othman Blaik and Anish Ghangad-Haran.

At the MHM, Professor Mohammed Delwar, coordinator of physical education, said: “There was was a great response from students and we loved their enthusiasm at the gathering. The students were keen to know more about the event and the teams involved.”

At the IIS, Akbar Ali, the PE teacher, said: “The visit was wonderful and the students added an atmosphere of enthusiasm that expressed their passion for football. We value the importance of this event and wish good luck to the teams.”

Professor Nargis Raza, the school’s principal at PEC, said: “The Pakistani community has always backed the promotional activities associated with the Emir Cup. It is the biggest football tournament in the country and the students just loved posing for pictures with the Emir Cup trophy.”

At the Birla Public School, the QFA delegation was welcomed by the staff of the school where students also engaged in football related conversations with players and officials.

The trophy tour will continue until the day of the final as football fans across the country interact with players and officials and engage in conversations related to the hugely popular event.