Courtesy: Gulf Daily News


Futsal team to hold camp in Sharjah

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

BAHRAIN's national futsal team will travel to Sharjah today for a week-long training camp.

The camp is part of the team's preparations for the West Asian Championship that will take place in Kuwait from December 9 to 16.

This event also acts as a qualifier for next year's AFC Futsal Championship finals, to be held in the UAE.

In the West Asian Championship, Bahrain will play in a relatively tough Group 'A', which also features Asian Championship finalists Lebanon, Iraq and the UAE.

Following their recently-played friendly matches against Saudi Arabia, Bahrain resumed their preparations under their national coach Ihsan Al Abbasi.

The sessions are being held at the Late Shaikh Salman bin Mohammed Al Khalifa's Centre near the Bahrain Football Association premises in Riffa.

Squad
The Bahraini squad includes Mohammed Hameed, Mohammed Al Sharqawi, Bassil Sultan, Mahmood Marhoon, Ali Saleh, Mahmood Al Sharqawi, Mohammed Radhi, Hussain Kazerooni, Ali Abdulrasool, Yasser Hassan and Hamad Dassas.

Other players are Thamer Shamous, Mohammed Darwish, Jassim Salah, Mohammed Sultan, Masaud Saad, Abdurahman Al Ghawi, Ayman Al Abbasi, Mohammed Al Satrawi and Khalid Abdulrahman.

There are 27 teams lined-up for this qualifying competition. They were divided into four groups of different zones.

Bahrain will kick-start their campaign against Iraq on December 9. Al Abbasi's side will play Lebanon in their second game on December 10 and take on the UAE in their concluding group match on December 11.

Bahrain hope to finish in the top two to qualify for the semi-finals, to be held on December 15. The final is scheduled for December 16.

The top three teams from each of the four zones will qualify for the 16-nation tournament proper along with three direct entrants - defending champions Iran, runners-up Uzbekistan, third-placed Japan and hosts the UAE. As many as 24 countries will take part in the 12th edition of the AFC Futsal Championship.




Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com