Courtesy:
Xinhua Myanmar to hold National Open Futsal Invitational tourney 7/3/2009YANGON, March 7 (Xinhua) -- The 2009 National Open Futsal Invitational tournament will be held at the Padethar Indoor Stadium in South Okkalar here later this month to develop the futsal sport (indoor football) in the country, official newspaper The Myanma Alin reported on Saturday.
The 2009 National Open Futsal Invitational tournament, organized by the Myanmar Football Federation (MFF) Futsal Sub-Committee and mainly sponsored by U Hla Htay (Sara FC), will be held on March 21, the paper said.
The futsal players who could show their talents in the tournament will be chosen for the Myanmar national futsal team which will enter the international competitions, it said, adding that the triumphing team will be awarded 1,000,000 Kyats (about 1,000 US dollars), while the runners-up 500,000 Kyats (about 500 dollars) and the third-placer 300,000 Kyats (about 300 dollars).
The Myanmar futsal team competed in the ASEAN futsal championship, which had been held since 2003, for the first time in May 2006. Myanmar thrashed Brunei 7-2 and lost to Thailand 22-3in the group-stage, lost 5-3 to Indonesia in the semi-final and secured third place by defeating Cambodia 10-2 in the tournament.
Seven member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian nations (ASEAN) and Australia participated in the 2007 AFF Futsal Championship in Bangkok, Thailand in March last year. The Myanmar futsal team, which was coached by a Japanese coach, was eliminated from the group-stage after beating Brunei 10-3 and losing 11-2 to Thailand and 6-4 to Vietnam respectively in the 2007 edition.
Myanmar attended in the 2008 AFF Futsal Championship in Bangkok in August last year, participated by Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, host Thailand and Vietnam, and could not pass through the group-stage when upset by Indonesia 4-2,Thailand 7-2 and the Philippines 6-2 in the event.
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