Courtesy: FAM

BALAKRISHNAN HOPES FOR WINDFALL

1st August 2007 - National Futsal head coach P. Balakrishnan is hoping that the inaugural National Futsal Championship Felda-FAM 2007 this month will bore an early windfall for the national selectors.

With 23 men's team and a further 22 women's team taking part, Balakrishnan said that the National Futsal Championship will be the perfect venue to unearth new talents especially those from the much-touted 'Perancangan Felda' programme which have already been put in place.

"With the number of teams taking part, I believe that it is only natural that we can expect a handful of players to be identified and then absorbed into the national programme," said Balakrishnan today.

"The important fact about the Felda Futsal is that it is a national championship and that they will follow the guidelines set by FIFA as far as the technical ruling is concerned and that is important when we are choosing players.

"Otherwise, we will have players in the national squad who are more attuned to indoor football than it is Futsal."

Balakrishnan said that among the qualities the national selectors will be looking out for in prospective national players - and this applies to the women as well - are acknowledgement of the rule of the game, skills, reading of the game and commitment.

If the national selectors can pick around 20 to 40 players with the ability to form a back-up squad for the national Futsal team, then the program of the National Futsal Championship Felda-FAM 2007 would have been a resounding success.

"I believe that the quality of the matches will be a lot better than previous Futsal competitions because for the majority of the coaches, they have attended coaching courses before and they know just what is Futsal and what is not," added Balakrishnan.

The Felda Futsal 2007 will be officially opened by Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak, the deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia who is also the Minister for Felda on 11th August, 2007 at the official venue of the Stadium Malawati in Shah Alam.

For further information, please contact Wan Zaleha Wan Embong or Faisal Zakariah at 603-2693 5066.


GROUPING

MEN

Group A: Johor, Maybank, Terengganu, Selangor

Group B: Pulau Pinang, Kelantan, Negeri Sembilan

Group C: Maksak, Sabah, Perak, Utusan Malaysia

Group D: Kedah, Kuala Lumpur, TV3, ATM

Group E: Felda B, Perlis, Pahang, Melaka

Group F: Felda A, Proton, PDRM, RTM

WOMEN

Group A: Felda B, Pahang, Kedah, Utusan

Group B: Felda A, Johor, RTM, ATM, Sabah

Group C: Maksak, Pulau Pinang, Melaka, Proton, Kuala Lumpur

Group D: Selangor, Terengganu, TV3, Maybank

Group E: PDRM, Perlis, Kelantan, Perak



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