Courtesy: Gympie >Times


Gympie futsal players in international competition

by Tom Daunt

19th Jan 2017

Futsal Gympie will take their largest ever contingent of players to the Craig Foster International Cup on the Gold Coast today, after only fielding two sides last year.

Teams from all over the country as well as international teams from New Zealand, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Asia play over four days of intense competition.

For many Gympie players it will be their first time on international size courts up against international competition.

"We have expanded on last year," Futsal Gympie coach Sam Watt said this week.

"The idea is that whoever wins the most age divisions overall is the winner of the competition, but it is more about going down there and exposing players to a higher level," he said.

The local contingent has tripled from 2016, with Gympie now taking six teams to Coomera.

Under-9, U11, U14, youth men's, men's and a women's team will contest the quality tournament with Watt saying the sport seems to have grown exponentially in Gympie over the last 18 months.

"Just for the women alone we are at maximum capacity," he said.

"If we got one more team (in the local competition) we would have to go to a second night or play games at 9pm at night. It has taken off."

The Craig Foster Cup is touted as one of the more prestigious events on the Queensland Futsal calendar with the cup a sought-after piece of silverware.

While Watt is remaining optimistic about Gympie's chances he did not shy away from the fact his teams will be up against stiff opposition.

"It is definitely the highest level," Watt said.

"We played basically the New Zealand national team last year.

"It is great that we are playing at that level."



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