Courtesy: Philippine Information Agency


Futsal grassroots-training program launched in Tagum

Tuesday 7th of August 2012

TAGUM CITY, Davao del Norte, Aug 7 (PIA) -- A grassroots-training program for the youth on Futsal was launched in Tagum City.

“It’s not enough that we will train our existing players, I want to introduce football directly to our youth,” City Councilor and City Sports Action Officer De Carlo “Oyo” L. Uy said during the launch of the Futsal Grassroots Training Program on August 4 at the barangay gymnasium of Barangay Apokon, Tagum City.

Futsal is a variant of football that is played on a smaller pitch and mainly played indoors, shared the Uy which could, he said, invite youngsters to join the training since they won’t be intimidated unlike if it will be directly held in the bigger field.

Futsal is played between two teams each with five players, one of whom is the goalkeeper. Unlimited substitutions are permitted. Unlike some other forms of indoor football, the game is played on a hard court surface delimited by lines; walls or boards are not used. Futsal is also played with a smaller ball with less bounce than a regular football. The surface, ball and rules create an emphasis on improvisation, creativity and technique as well as ball control and passing in small spaces.

Seventy kids from different puroks of Apokon participated in the initial training.

Aside from Apokon, the office of Councilor Uy will also expand the training to the different barangays of the city to give them a chance to have training on the said emerging sport.

Under the training, kids will undergo two to three days of training and one to two days of competition, organizers said.

Edgar Te, executive director of the Liga Futsal de Mindanao said this bold move is a welcome development for re-introducing the football sport to this part of Mindanao, citing that this is a “very serious and honest-to-goodness grassroots development program.”

The city government of Tagum partnered with Te’s organization along with the Australasian Football Academy Group, the Maharlika Sports Development Institute and the Philippine Women’s College in realizing this training program.

This is the result of the signing of the memorandum of agreement signed on July 27, 2012 in Davao City. (Louie Lapat of CIO Tagum/RGA/JDA-PIA11)




Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com