The Baluchi Museum: A Rare Sports Heritage with 11,000 Pieces
AlEtihad (nprofile…yefn)
The Kuwaiti author and historian, Hussein Al-Balushi, has established a small museum under his own home in Abdullah Al-Mubarak, Kuwait, which has become a landmark for football enthusiasts, especially those attending the 'Khaleeji 26' tournament hosted by Kuwait. The museum contains over 11,000 rare pieces, reflecting not only Kuwaiti football history but also that of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the world, including major tournaments such as the first World Cup and the first jersey of the Kuwait national team's first coach, among other stories and anecdotes. The museum has several sections dedicated to continental unions, in addition to its collection of trophies, books, and rare photographs, making it a unique attraction for football fans. FIFA President Infantino has recognized the museum as a professional football museum, putting it on the agenda of recognized museums, making it a point of attraction for visitors to those museums. Al-Balushi, the museum's owner, has been collecting football memorabilia since his childhood, inspired by his frequent visits to the Kuwait National Museum. He began collecting books, newspapers, and souvenirs, and after 1974, he dedicated a budget to his hobby, and since 2012, he has been professionally collecting rare and historical items, with the goal of establishing a specialized museum. However, after announcing the idea publicly, he received threats and criticism from some colleagues, who opposed his decision to turn his hobby into a professional and specialized museum focused on rare and historical football items. Al-Balushi has spent around 2 million Kuwaiti dinars on the museum's collection, with no donations received, except for a 500-dinar donation from Ali Mubarak, a Kuwaiti football player, and another 400-dinar donation from another footballer. He has also expressed his disappointment with companies, saying they are only interested in media appearances and have not provided any tangible support. He has also stated that he is open to any country that wants to take over the museum and relocate it, and is willing to sell his collection for 13-15 million Kuwaiti dinars to a country that is interested in preserving it. The oldest item in the museum dates back to 1916, including an Olympic whistle used in the 1920 Olympic football tournament in Antwerp, Belgium, and a ball used in the English Premier League in 1920, as well as original documents of the first World Cup in 1930 in Uruguay, and a rare bronze medal from the first World Cup, which Al-Balushi was able to purchase at a global auction.
https://www.aletihad.ae/news/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B6%D9%8A/4541379/%D9%85%D8%AA%D8%AD%D9%81-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%84%D9%88%D8%B4%D9%8A---%D8%A5%D8%B1%D8%AB-%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B6%D9%8A-%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D9%8011-%D8%A3%D9%84%D9%81-%D9%82%D8%B7%D8%B9%D8%A9
The Kuwaiti author and historian, Hussein Al-Balushi, has established a small museum under his own home in Abdullah Al-Mubarak, Kuwait, which has become a landmark for football enthusiasts, especially those attending the 'Khaleeji 26' tournament hosted by Kuwait. The museum contains over 11,000 rare pieces, reflecting not only Kuwaiti football history but also that of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the world, including major tournaments such as the first World Cup and the first jersey of the Kuwait national team's first coach, among other stories and anecdotes. The museum has several sections dedicated to continental unions, in addition to its collection of trophies, books, and rare photographs, making it a unique attraction for football fans. FIFA President Infantino has recognized the museum as a professional football museum, putting it on the agenda of recognized museums, making it a point of attraction for visitors to those museums. Al-Balushi, the museum's owner, has been collecting football memorabilia since his childhood, inspired by his frequent visits to the Kuwait National Museum. He began collecting books, newspapers, and souvenirs, and after 1974, he dedicated a budget to his hobby, and since 2012, he has been professionally collecting rare and historical items, with the goal of establishing a specialized museum. However, after announcing the idea publicly, he received threats and criticism from some colleagues, who opposed his decision to turn his hobby into a professional and specialized museum focused on rare and historical football items. Al-Balushi has spent around 2 million Kuwaiti dinars on the museum's collection, with no donations received, except for a 500-dinar donation from Ali Mubarak, a Kuwaiti football player, and another 400-dinar donation from another footballer. He has also expressed his disappointment with companies, saying they are only interested in media appearances and have not provided any tangible support. He has also stated that he is open to any country that wants to take over the museum and relocate it, and is willing to sell his collection for 13-15 million Kuwaiti dinars to a country that is interested in preserving it. The oldest item in the museum dates back to 1916, including an Olympic whistle used in the 1920 Olympic football tournament in Antwerp, Belgium, and a ball used in the English Premier League in 1920, as well as original documents of the first World Cup in 1930 in Uruguay, and a rare bronze medal from the first World Cup, which Al-Balushi was able to purchase at a global auction.
https://www.aletihad.ae/news/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B6%D9%8A/4541379/%D9%85%D8%AA%D8%AD%D9%81-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%84%D9%88%D8%B4%D9%8A---%D8%A5%D8%B1%D8%AB-%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B6%D9%8A-%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D9%8011-%D8%A3%D9%84%D9%81-%D9%82%D8%B7%D8%B9%D8%A9