2011/12 Schools Futsal Festival - an attraction

The Malta Football Association through its Grassroots, Youth Development & Education section within the Technical Centre, is again holding a Futsal Festival on a schools basis. This event, held in collaboration with the Sports Promotion Unit within the Kunsill Malti għall-Isport, is a much awaited and attractive fun festival held annually for schools in Malta and Gozo.  Its popularity among youngsters has grown in the last years as attested by the participation of hundreds of schoolchildren, boys and girls.   The first phase held on a class basis started recently with five-a-side matches played in several schools. After this initial phase the teachers in charge were able to choose the team to represent the school in the second phase which is to be held at St Benedict College and the Cottonera Sports Complex. This sifting in this phase will make for higher quality fare as the festival eventually enters the third phase in May. In this way organisers will be able to evaluate the skills of the schoolchildren with a view to honing them further for eventual upgrading to higher levels of competition. It is to be noted that this year there is an increased number of participants since more church schools have entered the event. During the festival MFA technical staff will be present and will be able to assess the potential of several young participants. The sponsors of the Festival, Teamsport, will assist the MFA in distributing sports equipment to schools, as well as a T-Shirt given to all children whilst the other sponsors General Soft Drinks, will provide water for while the other sponsors, The MFA is also giving all the participants a newly-designed T-Shirt. The MFA wishes to thank all the participants from several schools, organisers and sponsors for making the event yet again an unqualified success. Phase Two will be held over two blocks, the first between Tuesday 10 and Friday 13 January at St Benedict College’s new complex at Kirkop Boys’ Secondary School, and the second between Monday 23 and Friday 27 January at the Cottonera Sports Complex.