The first ever social futsal league will be kicking off in the UAE capital next month and applications are now being taken for team entries.
The Koora Futsal League is sure to be a hit with all fans of all types of football in Abu Dhabi when it starts on Wednesday, November 18.
The capital’s iconic sports venue, Zayed Sports City, will play host to the league, which will run on Wednesday evenings over the next four months, with the final set to be held on Wednesday, March 23.
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Futsal is the official five-a-side football game endorsed by governing body FIFA and is played on a hard surface with a specially designed size four ball with limited bounce, all of which encourage more skilful play.
The surface, ball and rules create an emphasis on improvisation, creativity and technique as well as ball control and passing in small spaces.
Futsal’s name comes from the Portuguese Futebol de salão , which translates as ‘room football’, and was developed in 1930 by Juan Carlos Ceriani Gravier, a teacher in Montevideo, Uruguay.
His goal was to create a team game that could be played indoor or outdoor but that was similar to football, and it took off after Uruguay won the 1930 World Cup.
The game is huge in South America, with Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi previously saying he played futsal rather than football as a youngster growing up in Argentina, while the likes of Pele, Cristiano Ronaldo and Xavi all learned their trade in the sports hall.
The Open Men’s Futsal League will be open to anyone with passion for football and people are encouraged to gather their friends and get a team together.
The league has been co-founded by Sigi Meeuws and Michael Dahdal, friends that have a burning passion for football as well as extensive experience in sport worldwide.
“My first love is football, my father was a professional player and coach,” said Meeuws.
Meeuws’ father Walter represented Belgium at the European Championships in 1980 in Italy and also played at the World Cup in Spain in 1982.
He also coached in the Middle East, including a stint as interim coach of Arabian Gulf League giants Al Jazira.
“I was a Belgian national champion in tennis, but I also played football. It was in my blood and I’m so glad I can now bring my passion for football to Abu Dhabi,” said Meeuws.
The Koora Futsal League will initially be limited to eight teams and the response so far has been overwhelming, so everyone is encouraged to get their team registered early.
For others interested, it is envisaged that new categories will be introduced as interest continues to grow in the league, so get in touch and register for the inaugural competition and for future competitions.
It costs Dh4,000 for each team to enter and each team will be able to have a squad of 10 players.
What: Koora Futsal League
Where: Zayed Sports City, Court 3
When: Wednesday evenings from Wednesday, November 18, 2015, running until Wednesday, March 23, 2016
