Futsal great urban substitute for soccer<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
It is difficult enough trying to spot a small patch of
\ngreenery in the capital's concrete jungle, but locating a grassed
\narea the size of a soccer field is becomoing impossible for
\nplayers of the world's biggest spectator sport.<\/p>\n
"That's why everybody I know now plays futsal, instead of
\nsoccer," said Edi, 30, who has been playing soccer since he was a
\ntoddler.<\/p>\n
"Finding a soccer field in Jakarta is hard and expensive. Even
\nthe ones that are available are not well-maintained, which can
\nlead to serious injuries."<\/p>\n
The lack of adequate and affordable green space to play soccer
\nis the main reason why futsal, an indoor variation of soccer, has
\nbeen gaining popularity in big cities during the past few years.<\/p>\n
Futsal, an acronym derived from the Portugese or Spanish
\nphrase for indoor soccer, requires a playing field of at least 15
\nmeters wide and 25 meters long, smaller compared to soccer's 45
\nby 90-meter minimum.<\/p>\n
The smaller field also means that fewer players are involved
\nduring a match, five on each side compared to soccer's standard
\nof 11.<\/p>\n
"The smaller size also makes it more fun, everybody gets a
\nchance to touch the ball," said Edi, who plays twice a week after
\nwork hours with his friends.<\/p>\n
He added that because futsal was played indoors, it fit his
\nschedule better since he often worked until the evening.<\/p>\n
"It also makes it possible to play at any time in any
\ncondition, rain or shine," he said.<\/p>\n
He said that futsal players developed their ball handling and
\npassing skills faster because of the increased ball touches,
\nwhich he estimated could reach 10 times more than in conventional
\nsoccer.<\/p>\n
"In soccer, defenders often just linger around doing nothing,
\nin futsal everybody is actively moving and gets a share of the
\nball," said Edi.<\/p>\n
He said that the prices of renting a futsal field, which runs
\nanywhere between Rp 75,000 to Rp 300,000 per hour depending on
\nthe facility, was reasonable, especially since it was shared
\njointly by the players.<\/p>\n
"We all split it up equally and end up paying Rp 15,000 for
\neach session, to me its cheap considering the amount of exercise
\nI get and the camaraderie between friends," said Edi.<\/p>\n
Currently there are futsal fields all around the city
\nincluding those in Pejaten, South Jakarta, Tanjung Duren, West
\nJakarta, Senayan, South Jakarta and Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Edi said that currently the best playing field was Planet
\nFutsal in Kelapa Gading.<\/p>\n
"It's the priciest one, but the field's turf is from synthetic
\ngrass and is well maintained," said Edi.<\/p>\n
Planet Futsal's center manager Damianus Nono said that
\nnowadays interest in futsal has reached a crescendo, at times
\ncausing headaches to his staff.<\/p>\n
"Even though we officially open at 8 a.m., sometimes people
\nbang at our doors at 7 a.m., others want to play until past
\nmidnight," said.<\/p>\n
Damianus, who has been with the center since it opened last
\nyear.<\/p>\n
"When we first opened, we didn't know the demand would be like
\nthis," said Damianus, whose center has three fields. "I guess
\nfinding an adequate playing field is a real problem in Jakarta."<\/p>\n
He estimated that 60 percent of those who played at Planet
\nFutsal were students and 40 percent were adults, most of which
\ncame to play directly after work.<\/p>\n
He said that the reason aside from the lack of space, the
\nreason that futsal has gained popularity was because it required
\nless people and less equipment.<\/p>\n
"You only need to call up four friends to play instead of 10
\nand you don't really need special shoes to play," he said.<\/p>\n
He said that because of the high enthusiasm for futsal, his
\ncompany would be opening locations in Kuningan, South Jakarta,
\nSunter, North Jakarta, Medan, North Sumatera, Balikpapan, East
\nKalimantan, Pontianak, West Kalimantan and Malang, East Java.<\/p>\n
Edi said that the addition of more futsal fields in the city
\nwas a positive development.<\/p>\n
"Sometimes, because of the high demand, it is hard to reserve
\na futsal field," said Edi. "Even bribing to get a field doesn't
\nwork."<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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