Courtesy: Daily Telegraph


Footballer heads to Hawaii

by Stacey Roberts

December 5, 2016

A YOUNG Castle Hill footballer will have his best birthday yet, spending it on an Hawaiian tour with the national fustal team.

Max Buratto flew to Hawaii on Friday to tour the region with the Australian 11 Boys’ futsal team, where he will train with and play against local representative teams.

Max, who celebrated his 11th birthday in Hawaii on Monday, said he was “surprised but very excited” when he found out he had been selected to join the tour.

He was selected to the squad based on his performance at the National Futsal Championships in January, where he played for Sydney Metro West.

It will be the Baulkham Hills North Public School student’s first trip to Hawaii, and he said joining the Australian team had been one of his proudest achievements so far.

“I am looking forward to experiencing some Hawaiian culture, making some new friends and playing futsal,” he said.

Max started playing futsal when he was eight as a way to keep up his fitness and improve his ball skills during the football off-season.

It soon turned into a passion, and Max now plays for the Mt Druitt Town Rangers Futsal Club in the Football NSW SELECT Futsal Premier League 2 12 boys’ team as well as football for Blacktown City Football Club.

Max said he enjoyed fustal because it was a “small sided game with a fast pace”.


“You get a lot more touches on the ball,” he said.

Max said strong fustal players needed “quick feet, good ball skills and quick decision making”.


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