Sporting Clube De Goa & Dempo target the Beach Soccer Championship in Goa

The inaugural edition of India’s first professional Beach Soccer Championship in Goa, India, which will be held from 5th to 10th February, 2013, in accordance with official sporting rules as laid out by Beach Soccer Worldwide (BSWW), will see participation from Dempo Sports Club and Sporting Clube De Goa amongst many other leading football clubs. More than 48 football clubs have confirmed participation for the event. The tournament boasts of an exciting short but grueling format of the sport, one that requires energy, zest, the right attitude and minimal equipment.

Goa Football Association (GFA) and Goa Football Development Council (GFDC) are backing the officially sanctioned event, which will become a bi-annual feature in India. The tournament is inviting participation from players belonging to prominent teams from around the country in addition to Goa’s popular football clubs.

The tournament is being conducted by TransStadia under the overall umbrella of BSWW. TransStadia are also the knowledge partner for GFDC and are working closely to ensure that football takes its rightful prominence in the capital of football, that is Goa.

Commenting on the confirmation, Elvis Gomes, Executive Director, Sports Authority of Goa, Member Secretary of GFDC and Vice President of the GFA stated, “The inaugural championship is receiving a very encouraging response from clubs and players across the country. We are certain that this first step will provide players with an excellent platform to display their skills and help discover new talent to represent the country on an international stage in the seasons to come. I can foresee India’s ranking rise quickly in this format than that of regular football.”

Peter Vaz from Sporting Clube De Goa said, “Beach soccer will offer numerous talented young players from across India a great chance to participate and enjoy football in a professional yet exciting and fun format. Organizing the championship is a huge step forward, and one, which will encourage India’s participation on the global stage. We are delighted to be a part of the event as a team.”

Both are prestigious football clubs that have nurtured and promoted the game in India for many years, rising to the pinnacle of sporting achievement. Beach soccer teams will comprise of 10 players each – 5 on field and 5 as substitutes. The duration of play will include three periods of 12 minutes each, with a break of 3 minutes. In case of a tie at the end of regular time, there’s a 3-minute extra time, before the penalty shootout. The Beach Soccer tournament in February 2013 will see the teams battle it out for a grand prize of Rs. 2 lacs and will take home the champions trophy. This is the first step towards building a strong and scalable talent pool for this young and exciting sport.

Mumbai-based TransStadia is investing and managing the much-awaited sporting event in an attempt to introduce and develop the sport in India that is already played in 75 countries within the six FIFA Confederation zones. Over fifty soccer teams from across the country are all set to descend on Goa’s beaches and battle it out in a sport that was on born on the beaches of Brazil. Four world-class pitches and a world-class arena will be set up to give spectators’ an exhilarating experience, using the T-Box modular stadia technology.

For registering your team, log on to www.beachsoccer.in or www.thebarefootfest.com. Registration is free.