KUWAIT CITY, Aug 14: The Kuwait Football Association has decided to postpone Al-Jahra Club's matches for the first three rounds of the Zain First Division League for the 2024-2025 season due to ongoing issues at the club and the inability to register players with the association.

Al-Jahra was initially set to begin their league campaign next Sunday against Al-Sahel, followed by matches against Burqan on August 24 and Al-Shabab on August 29. However, the association has not yet rescheduled these fixtures, stating that new dates will be announced later.

The club has been facing significant "administrative" problems since last November, following a court ruling that invalidated the board of directors led by Khaled Al-Jarallah. This has led to a period of "regression" across various sports at the club, including the loss of local and foreign players due to financial issues and the lack of an authorized board to sign off on their dues. The club’s employees have also struggled with delayed salaries.

These challenges have severely impacted the first football team, which was relegated to the first division. The team's professionals left immediately after the season ended, and key local players have moved to other clubs.

Al-Jahra has been further hindered by these issues, particularly in football, where the team has been unable to recruit new coaches or players. Ahmed Hassan, a former player and youth team coach, and Frenchman Enrique were initially brought in to lead the team during preparations last July. Meanwhile, volunteers Mubarak Al-Jadaan and Aziz Madloul have managed the team to maintain its cohesion amid the crisis, despite the lack of approved technical, medical, and administrative staff.

Jadaan and Madloul have appealed to Dr. Amthal Al-Huwailah, Minister of Social Affairs, Family and Childhood Affairs, and Minister of State for Youth Affairs, as well as Bashar Abdullah, Director General of the Public Authority for Sports, seeking urgent attention to Al-Jahra Club's situation.

Hassan Musa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff