Soccer body and McDonald's to promote Futsal in Indonesia
JAKARTA (JP): The Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) and McDonald's Indonesia fast-food firm launched the coaching clinic for referees and coaches of futsal, a five-a-side game of soccer originating from Uruguay.
Wednesday's event will initiate cooperation between the national soccer body and the chain of restaurants to popularize the new sport among Indonesian youths.
PSSI secretary general Tri Goestoro and McDonald's Indonesia's Director of Marketing and Communications B.S. Dharma will sign a Memorandum of Understanding to mark the cooperation on March 18, the PSSI director for junior development Ronny Pattinasarani said.
"We will popularize this sport among players, but first we have to give coaches and referees the chance to know the rules better. After that, we will teach this sport to children and youths in soccer schools.
"After the MOU signing, there will be an under-16 futsal tournament. It will be the first event in Indonesia that applies the rules set by FIFA. We'll also stage roadshows and produce handbooks and video cassettes to be distributed to soccer clubs," he said.
Futsal was originally founded by Juan Carlos Ceriani in Montevideo in 1930. He devised a five-a-side version of soccer for youth competition in YMCAs. The game is played on basketball- sized courts, both indoor and outdoor without the use of sidewalls.
The game is frequently referred to as five-a-side. Once Ceriani got the ball rolling, futsal gained rapid popularity throughout South America, particularly in Brazil.
The skill developed in this game is visible in the world- famous style the Brazilians display outdoors on the full-sized field. Pele, Zico, Socrates, Bebeto and other Brazilian superstars developed their skill playing futsal.
While Brazil continues to be the futsal hub of the world, the game is now played, under the auspices of FIFA since 1989, all over the world, from Europe to North and Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Africa, Asia and Oceania.
Dharma said that the firm had given its full commitment to support PSSI in developing the sport. He said the firm would stage a league to produce a national team. The team will be likely to take part in the Asian futsal championships in 2002.
"We will stage a league, probably under the name of Liga McD Indonesia, in January 2002 at the latest. We hope that we can pick up the best 12 players to set up a national team. We will be a futsal champion someday," he told a media briefing here.
Tri said that FIFA and AFC have asked Indonesia to host the Asian futsal championships in 2002 and subsequently. But he admitted that the national team will not compete in the 2001 championships in Tehran. (ivy)