82 teams to compete in Sabah Futsal League Circuit I

KOTA KINABALU: Eighty-two teams will compete in the Sabah Futsal League Circuit I for men at the BSA Kolombong here from April 30-May 1.

Sabah Football Association (Safa) Futsal and Beach Soccer committee chairman, Yamani Hafez Musa, was happy with the overwhelming response with entries coming from all over the state.

“The teams came from as far as Tawau, Lahad Datu and Sandakan.

“I hope that the competition this weekend will run smoothly with good sportsmanship and fair play shown by all the teams,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Yamani stressed that the tournament was to enhance futsal development and to provide an avenue for the enthusiasts to show their talents.

He hoped that by starting with the League Circuit I, it will lead to the state to having a competitive futsal tournament in the future.

“We will be forming a futsal league based on division after the completion of the Circuit I where the top eight teams would play in Division One.

“This will directly create competition not only in the top division but also among the teams in the second division or new teams to try their best to gain promotion into the elite league,” he added.

The team manager meeting and fixtures draw for the men’s competition will be conducted at the Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) at 3pm. Contact Azman Soaibah at 016-8207479 for more information.

Meanwhile, Yamani said it is compulsory for Division One teams to register a coach with Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Level I Futsal Coaching qualification as part of efforts to improve the Sabah Futsal League in 2017.

“All the men’s and women’s teams in Division One will be given the chance to send a candidate to take part in the Level I Coaching Course which will be held in August,” he said.

For the record, the women’s category of the league Circuit I was completed in mid-March where six teams have earned their spots in Division One.