Courtesy: Daily Express

Record entries expected for Milo 'Hidup Bola' Futsal Carnival

Kuala Lumpur: The 2nd Milo 'Hidup Bola' Futsal Carnival to be held nationwide starting April 15, is expected to draw another record number of entries.

Nestle Malaysia's business executive manager, Coffee & Beverages Unit, Ajoy Titus said last year the Carnival, held for players aged 21 and below, attracted a record 1008 teams from all over the country.

"This year, it will be held as an Under-16 carnival and we expect the number of participation to surpass last year's record. This change to a lower age group is a Milo initiative to reach out to teenagers and provide an avenue for them to showcase their stuff," said Ajoy during the launch of the event here Saturday.

He added that there would be state-level competitions in all 14 states including Sabah and Sarawak to pick the top 32 teams, who would then play in a Grand Final on July 22.

"We at Milo strongly believe that children active in sports develop good values like discipline, leadership, perseverance, determination, strength and character. Sports also teaches children the values of fairplay, teamwork, multi-racial interaction and unity," he said..

The top four teams in the state and national level competitions will receive trophies and cash prizes while the champion of the Grand final to be held at Sports Planet Futsal Centre, Ampang, will receive RM5,000.

Meanwhile, national futsal team manager Hamidin Mohd Amin who was also present during the event together with his team members said since futsal was the latest craze among youngsters and even elders, the carnival would be a big boost to the promotion of the sport.

"Futsal is a good stepping stone to becoming a good footballer as players build stamina, speed, ball control in tight situations, quick thinking and reflexes during the game. I sincerely hope that Milo will also expand the carnival to include Under-14 age group as well in the future," said Hamidin.

He also said that the national futsal team would be participating in the Asean Football Federation futsal championships in Bangkok later this month.- Bernama



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