China will be hosting an international futsal tournament in June that could eventually become one of the major pillars of a continent-wide five-a-side circuit.

The International Indoor Futsal Tournament in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, from June 19-21 will also feature Asian powerhouses Iran and Japan, as well as the Netherlands.

AFC has already sanctioned the event, which is aiming to become a regular feature on the Asian futsal calendar, along with countries such as Iran, Malaysia and Thailand who host international annual tournaments.

The format of the competition is round-robin with the winners taking home US$6,000 while the runners-up earn $4,000. The third-placed team receive $3,000 while even the bottom side are not left out with £2,000.

Futsal is growing in popularity in Asia and there is hope that an annual circuit along the lines of professional tennis could thrive in the continent.

Source : the-afc.com
Published : 14/4/2009