HB Futsal launches the 2008 futsal season on Friday 22nd August with an exhibition match featuring some of New Zealand’s top futsal players.

** Update : Hawkes Bay won the exhibition match 7-5. Thanks to everyone in the crowd of 300 who came to the Hawke’s Bay v All Stars exhibition on August 22nd. A great way to kickstart the season – you can see photos from the big night here. A special thanks to Carlos and his team for making it such a special event. **

The match at Pettigrew Green Arena is between Hawke’s Bay and the International All Stars.

The Hawke’s Bay team includes players from Hawke’s Bay United’s NZFC team, as well as top young players from HB Futsal’s premier league.

The All Stars are lead by Waikato-based Brazilian professional and former New Zealand futsal coach, Carlos Farias and a team of South American and African futsal experts.

Futsal is the FIFA approved version of five-aside indoor soccer. It is the world’s fastest growing indoor sport and is played by millions of players in over 100 countries.

The current world futsal champions are Spain and the 2008 FIFA Futsal World Cup is due to be held in Brazil next month. The tournament will attract a television audience of millions worldwide.

The name “futsal” comes from the merging of the Spanish/Portuguese words for football (futbol or futebol) and the Spanish word for indoor (salon or sala).

Futsal is a fast-paced game played on a basketball sized court using a low rebound ball, often with Brazilian samba music playing as a soundtrack.

Soccer superstars such as Ronaldinho, Messi, Pele, Zico and Cristiano Ronaldo all learnt to play soccer by starting out in futsal.

The game demands quick reflexes and promotes fast thinking and pinpoint passing and shooting, with players touching the ball on average twelve times more per game than in outdoor soccer.

As a result, players develop close individual ball skills and tricks very quickly, making it an exciting game for young players.

Currently HB Futsal has around 200 players enrolled in Thursday night children’s and adult’s leagues, which are run in partnership with Hawke’s Bay United Academy.

HB Futsal also run schools tournaments in November and December as well as an all-ages one day tournament at the NZ Games at Pettigrew Green Arena on 21st September.

Players and teams can sign up for all 2008 leagues and tournaments before and after the exhibition match.

HB Futsal are delighted to be able to bring this unique sporting event to the Hawke’s Bay public. Spokesman Paul Toohey is particularly pleased to have a player of Farias’s quality on board. “Carlos has played futsal at the highest level in Brazil, in front of crowds of 40,000, twice a week” says Toohey. “His technique and ball control are amazing. What he can’t do with a ball probably isn’t worth doing.”

For more information about HB Futsal, visit www.hbfutsal.org.nz

Hawke’s Bay versus International All Stars

Pettigrew Green Arena
Friday August 22
KO 7.30pm
Entry: Gold coin donation

HB Futsal: contact Paul Toohey 021 215 6378 or [email protected]

Source : HB Futsal