A four-team American football league representing the cities of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain in the UAE will kick off next month, according to Paul Oberjuerge of THE NATIONAL. Organizers have planned the league's season to culminate with the Desert Bowl championship game in March. Emirati American Football League Commissioner Kai Trompeter said, "This is a real football league, open to anyone who wants to play, and we want it to be sustainable." Trompeter added, "It will not be run like a business. It will be not-for-profit, and if we make any money it will go right back into the league in the form of more training or doing nicer things." The 41-year-old German, "who picked up the fast and collision-packed American game" while growing up in Alabama, has been the "prime mover in a busy summer ahead of the EAFL's debut season." The four teams that will take the field this fall are the Dubai Stallions, Dubai Barracudas, Abu Dhabi Wildcats and Al Ain Desert Foxes. The Stallions will be coached by former NFL Indianapolis Colts linebacker Andre Sommersell. The league's expenses will be covered by membership fees of Dh 1,500 ($408) from each player. Players "will be responsible for purchasing their own equipment," including practice jerseys, pants, helmets and pads. Trompeter estimates the cost to total at Dh 1,000 ($272) for adults and Dh 800 ($218) for youth (THE NATIONAL, 9/11).
