INTERNATIONAL NEWS

ITALY WIN EUFA FUTSAL EURO 2003 CHAMPIONSHIPS
Italy this week cemented their place as one of the leaders of World Futsal by defeating Ukraine 1-0 in the final of EURO 2003. This capped off their great semi final result where they beat current World Cup Champions Spain 2-1. For more information go to www.uefa.com or www.futsalplanet.com

INTERNATIONAL TOURS
If you wish to take up your position on an international tour, you need to get your paperwork back this week. Lists of players selected are in the library on the home page www.qldfutsal.com.au , however if you are unsure ring Brian Keightley on 38752600.

OVERSEAS FUTSAL TOURS COMING UP

KL FIVES (MEN) - 3rd to 6th JUNE - 2003
BRAZIL - 16th MAY to 3rd June - 2003
CANADA - 9TH MAY to 23rd May - 2003
JAPAN - 16TH MAY to 1st June - 2003
Italy (Australian open women) - 22nd JUNE to 6th JULY - 2003
Ecuador/New Zealand - 10th to 24th August - 2003
Austria/Germany - 20th Nov to 11th Dec - 2003
Brazil - 21st Nov to 12th Dec - 2003
Canada - 19th Nov to 10th Dec - 2003

NATIONAL NEWS

AUSTRALIAN MENS TEAM NEWS
The first training weekend for the men’s team has been organized for the weekend of 22nd March. It is planned to have three weekend camps before a five day camp before the team leaves for the KL Fives in June. The final squad will be named after the National League weekend on the 27th April. It is hoped the management team for the tour will be decided at the National Futsal Commission meeting on the 8th March.

AUSTRALIAN WOMENS TEAM NEWS
The final touring squad for the women should be finalized by the end of March. Final details of costs and itinerary should be decided after the National Futsal Commission on the weekend of the 8th March.

NATIONAL LEAGUE UPDATE
The Queensland men’s and women’s national league squads have just got through their first week of training. Training is 10.00 am to 12.30 pm Saturdays and 6.30 pm to 9.00 pm Monday nights at Acacia Ridge Centre , under the control of men’s coach Richard Littler and women’s coach Brian Keightley . Spectators are welcome to come and watch, and hopefully with good preparation, we will be a force at this year’s tournament.

STATE NEWS

DAL PONTE ACADEMY
We are presently negotiating to bring a permanent coach from Brazil to run the DAL PONTE VIKINGS programme (as well as take on the role of Queensland technical director). We should know by the end of the week if we are successful, but if negotiations break down we will advertise the position of fulltime TECHNICAL DIRECTOR of DALPONTE VIKINGS and Queensland Futsal.

SOUTH QUEENSLAND AND NORTH QUEENSLAND SCHOOL TITLES
As reminded to everyone at the beginning of the newsletter, nominations for the school titles close this Friday 28th February. If you are running late email or fax your entry forms to us.

WHY SOUTH QUEENSLAND TITLES?
A few people have contacted me and asked why the name of the STATE FUTSAL SCHOOL TITLES had been changed to SOUTH QUEENSLAND SCHOOL TITLES. The simple fact is that when that tournament started in 1992 (with only five teams) it was the only state school titles. Now 11 years later we have a strong north titles as well plus a number of regional titles. Therefore it is now necessary to change the name. The CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS in October NOW becomes the battle of winners from throughout the state.

Talking of CHAMPIONS OF CHAMPIONS, the Futsal pack prize for the champion teams will be even larger this year, with new sponsor DAL PONTE adding to all the winners packs. Last year the open boys and girls winner’s packs were worth $750 but this year it will be $1000 at least, with the juniors packs at $500.

GUESTS AT THE SCHOOL FUTSAL TITLES
Thanks to the good work of Steve Garrett and Daniel Hoey at Robina High School, we have some special guest teams at this year’s state school titles. Four 16 year boys and open boys teams from visiting Japanese schools will compete in the tournament on the 10th March . These are our first international visitors to our school tournament and hopefully they won’t be the last.
Some other new entries from a long distance are Charleville High School from seven hours west of Brisbane , and Tweed Rivers High and Casino High from Northern NSW. With the new highway finished south of the Gold Coast, it is only around two hours for Casino to get up to Beenleigh.

REGIONAL SCHOOL TITLES
A reminder that in May regional school titles will be held across the state at Mt Isa, Cairns, Rockhampton, Hervey Bay, Gatton and Lismore. We are also looking at the possibility of Roma and Mackay in third term (August). For further details go the website www.qldfutsal.com.au and go to the library on the left for details of all regional tournaments

ARRIVAL OF DAL PONTE SHOES
Just a reminder that the first shipment of DAL PONTE Futsal shoes from Brazil will be available on the 20th March. They will be on show at the school titles and available for sale at all offices and centres. If you want to know what they look like go to website www.dalponte.com.br

STATE CLUB TITLES NOW THE BRISBANE CUP
The state club titles held each December we have now decided to rename the Brisbane Cup. The regional titles at Easter have now become the major tournament on the calendar, so we can no longer call it the state titles.
The Brisbane Cup will also be used to select regional teams for the south east regions….Brisbane North, Brisbane South, Moreton , Logan City and Gold Coast.

REGIONAL NEWS
Well at this stage most of the regions are now in training for the regional titles to be held at Easter. Although the draw won’t be ready till 1st April, on the 10th March we will put up a list of entries in each age and update it weekly. At present we are still aiming to reach around 140 teams, up from last years 94.

QRAPID NEWS
The Futsal group with an intellectual disability, run by QRAPID is traveling along well. Cathy Wilson wrote in this week to tell us how they are going. A reminder that the school titles for special schools is on 31st March at ACACIA RIDGE.

hi Alistair

I thought I'd let you know what some of our members are up to: Q-RAPID has continued to coordinate a skill development Futsal program at Brisbane Indoor Sports Centre with 8 participants. Each person is very committed to the sport and improving their play in order to compete against our Toowoomba teams (21 participants in total).

Six of the Brisbane players plus one additional person have formed a team called the Dragons. A few members of Q-RAPID staff are also apart of the team. The Dragons play in the mixed competition coordinated by Brisbane Indoor Sports Centre and most games are very close. Playing in this competition has boosted the morale and confidence of the players, as well as improving their skills in the game. The best outcome of all: players have been accepted as rivals and there have been no token goals.

Cathy Wilson

JACQUI KYTE HAS BABY
Jacqui Kyte, our centre administrator at Deception Bay club, had a beautiful baby girl RACHELLE PIEJ ,weighing in at 7 pounds 15 ounces on the 5th February ( I’m informed one day before Waitangi Day) . We wish her and husband Anthony well and Jacqui will be back soon running the club.

WHATS COMING UP-DATES TO REMEMBER

10th/28th March - State Secondary School Titles - Brisbane

24th/26th March - State Primary School Titles - Brisbane

31st March - Special School Titles - Acacia Ridge

19TH/21ST April - Regional Titles - Brisbane South

22nd/23RD April - Northern Universities Games - Gold Coast

25th/27th April - Men’s and Women’s National League - Sydney

5th/7th May - Central Qld School Titles - Rockhampton

12th/14th May - Far North School Titles - Cairns

12th/15th May - South West School Titles - Gatton

19th/20th May - Hervey Bay School Titles - Hervey Bay

26th/27th May - North West School Titles - Mt Isa

HUMOUR

From rivals.net

”Cider makers Bulmers went ballistic when they discovered that drink mats glorifying soccer hooligans had been circulated by their US agents. The firm sent out squads of staff to bars in Florida ordering them to snatch any mats with the slogan: ‘Strongbow - Helping fuel soccer riots for almost 40 years’" – The Daily Mirror

Another gem from rivals.net

More quality broadcasting and intellectual insight from Talksport host Alan Parry:
Caller: “A few years ago I changed my name to Colin Sunderland AFC Lamb…”
Alan Parry: “Am I right in thinking you were originally called Colin Lamb, then?”
Mind like a razor, huh

NOW SOME JOKES FROM ROB VARELA OF DURAL FUTSAL

JOKE ONE
Fast forward to 2006- it is just before England v Brazil at the next
World Cup group game. Ronaldo goes into the Brazilian changing room to find all his teammates looking glum.
"What's up?" he asks. " Well, we're having trouble getting motivated for this game," explains Ronaldinho. "We know it's important, but
it's only England. They're rubbish and we can't be bothered playing them."
Ronaldo looks at them and says: " OK, I reckon I can beat them by myself, you lads go down to the pub and I’ll play them."
So Ronaldo goes out to play England by himself and the rest of the
team go down the pub for a few drinks. After a few pints they wonder how the game is going, so they get the barman to put the television on. A big cheer goes up as the screen reads 'Brazil 1 Scotland 0 (Ronaldo 10 min)'. He is beating England all by himself!
Anyway a few more drinks and the game is forgotten until someone remembers: " It must be full-time now - let's see how he got on."
They put the television on: 'Result: Brazil 1(Ronaldo 10 min) England
1 (Emile Heskey 89 min).' they can't believe it- he has single-
handedly drawn vs. England !
They rush back to the stadium to congratulate him. But they find him in the dressing room, still in his gear, head in hands. Ronaldo can't
look his teammates in the eye." I've let you down, I've let you down," he sobs.
" Don't be stupid, you got a draw vs. England all by yourself," says Roberto Carlos. " And they only scored at the very, very end!"
" No, no, I really have let you down," insists Ronaldo. " I got sent off after 12 minutes!"

JOKE TWO
Two Scots, fresh off a flight from Glasgow to watch Canada play Scotland, walk into the first pub they see in Calgary. On the wall over the bar is the head of a large beast
with a huge rack of antlers.
The first Scot calls the bartender over and asks the bartender, "What do you call that?"
"That's a moose", he replied.
The second Scot is astonished, " a Moose? ", he says, "I'd hate to see your cats!"

JOKE THREE
What the difference between a rock and a Scotsman?
You can squeeze a drink out of a rock if you really had to.

JOKE FOUR
Why did the Scotsman kill all his pigeons?
The kept chanting Peru, Peru
(Remember 1978 WORLD CUP Cubilla's goals?)

JOKE FIVE
2 guys were talking in a bar
Man 1: What time do Liverpool kick off?
Man 2: About every 10 minutes.

THAT’S ALL FOLKS…..SEE YOU NEXT WEEK