THE exciting, fast-paced sport of futsal kicked off last evening at the Beausejour Indoor Facility in Gros Islet with three exciting matches on the card as eighteen teams will be vying for bragging rights of Inter – Commercial Futsal Champions for 2018.
The twelve day event which run from Friday 13th April to Saturday 19th May is in collaboration with Timeoutntertainment and Windward and Leeward Brewery with the new brand Guinness.
Futsal is a five-a-side game, normally played on a flat indoor pitch with hockey-sized goals and a size four football with reduced bounce.
The participating teams are – Arktel/1888 Go Answer, Bay Gardens, Bel Jou, Blue Waters, CPJ, Ferrands, FLOW, Harris Paints, J.Q.Charles, LUCELEC, M&C, NIC, PCD, Renwick, Scotia, St. James Club, Teachers Union and WASCO.
Last evening on centre court, PCD took on Blue Wates at 6:30pm; WASCO played LUCELEC at 7:30pm and St. James Club met Bel Jou at 8.30pm.
This evening, the excitement continues with three matches, from 6.30pm FLOW versus M&C; Teachers Union will take on J.Q. Charles at 7.30pm; while Arktel/1888 Go Answer will fancy their chances against NIC.
The 18 teams are in Groups of 3’s and will face each other in a round robin format. A total of 32 matches are on the card for the duration of the tournament.
In the Playoff Stage, all second place teams will be placed in two Groups of 3’s. The top two teams from here then move to the quarterfinals, the remaining four teams exit the tournament.
For the quarterfinals stage, the six 1st place teams from the Group Stage automatically qualify to the QF, with the remaining two teams coming from the Playoff Stage.
In the Semifinal Stage scheduled for Friday 11th May, the winner of QF1 versus winner QF3 and the winner QF2 versus winner QF4; while on the final day of competition, SF1 loser plays SF2 loser and will be followed by the grand final between the winners of SF1 and SF2 on Saturday 19th.
The winning team will receive, the Championship trophy, gold medals and EC$2000, the second place team takes home a trophy, silver medals and EC$1000, the third place team will collect a trophy, bronze medals and EC$500. In other awards: Player with the Most Goals, the MVP and Golden Glove.
Previous winners – In 2015, PCD (champions), Saint Lucia Distillers (2nd place), 2016, Saint Lucia teachers Union (champions), FLOW (2nd place), 2017, Arktel (champions), Windjammer (2nd place).
