Futsal 2015, South India’s first ever synthetic turf football tournament, will be played at the Perks MHSS campus here from October 24.
An exhibition match to showcase the event was played on Friday but the real action will be over the next two days.
The three-day event is organised by the Manchester Perks Football Academy (MPFA)which was started by a bunch of soccer crazy youngsters from this part of the region. MPFA expects about 50 teams to participate. The teams will be split into groups and the top two from each group will qualify for the next stage.
“It is a real fast game and one needs lots of stamina,” says Aadarsh Moorthy of MPFA.
“Actually, Futsal serves as a great platform for people of all ages to participate and showcase their football talent,” adds MPFA’s Hariram Ranganathan.
Futsal is a modified form of soccer with five players per side and played on a smaller pitch, typically indoors. This sport, which is widely played across the globe, is finally making its mark in Coimbatore.
One must give the credit to the MPFA boys, who have been working hard in promoting the fives event in the city for the past three years. However, this time around the tournament will be played on the Perks synthetic tennis courts which hosted the LMW - ITF Futures tournament recently.
“We want to bring Futsal in its original form. We also want people to understand what the sport is all about. We have enrolled many teams this time for the event,” says N. Vishnu Vardhan, another MPFA member . “Usually, we streamline them but this time we decided not to close the door on any team,” he adds.
How effective is it playing on a synthetic surface? “We guarantee a feel good factor for the players. The players can have great ball control and the accuracy of shooting is also better,” assures Hariram.
“The overall game is enhanced playing on turf,” adds MPFC's B. Srinath.
The event also features the King of Free Style, which will witness the best of street soccer style in between match breaks.
The top two finishers will take home Rs. 25,000 and 15,000 respectively. There are also special trophies for the player of the tournament and the highest goal scorer.
