Premier Futsal has been quite a success in its first season. Six teams from the country took part in the futsal tournament hosted in Chennai and Goa. Some of the biggest Football and Futsal players from the world came to India to participate in the tournament. Ryan Giggs’ side Mumbai 5’s were crowned the champions of the inaugural edition.
English futsal player, Doug Reed, who is also the technical director of Premier Futsal, has been speaking to Sportskeeda on the success of the tournament, and his future plans. Reed believes Futsal is a sport of its own and doesn’t need the help of football to grow.
He said: “I think Futsal is a sport of its own. It can bring fun, entertainment, and lots of action. You’ve already seen that in the first season. I think it’s a sport that can hold on its own. Indians love T20 cricket, and that shows they like high action sports. Similarly, Futsal is faster than Football, and we get to see more goals and shots.”
The England national team futsal player believes it was important to bring the likes of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Ronaldinho and others, but futsal players are starting to make a reputation for themselves in India.
He said:“It’s great to bring the legends. It gets everyone’s attention, and they’ve done brilliantly. But it’s not just the legends, but the futsal players are also starting to make a reputation in India.”
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Reed believes there is still a long journey ahead for Indian futsallers, but he is quite optimistic about their chances of making a name for themselves in the future.
He added, “There is a still a big way to go. Futsal is not famous in India. International Futsal players train every day right from a very young age, so it’s really difficult to catch up with them in just one tournament. I think they’ve done well, and a lot of them have told me they now just want to play Futsal.
“Futsal is more suitable for Indian people as they have a slimmer build. You don’t need too much power and strength in Futsal. It’s more about your skills and being clever so I think it’s more suitable to them.
“The great thing about this tournament is that it has shown Indian players professionalism. They’ve been spending time with the physios, doing ice baths, and having a diet plan.
“I’m very optimistic about the future of Premier Futsal. The stadiums have been full and it shows Indians are enjoying the game. India can be a leader in this sport. In fact, it’s already a leader.”
Also read: Premier Futsal: Team of the tournament
Reed was also asked about the future plans of Premier Futsal, and if they’re going to open an academy soon, to which he replied: “This was a test to see how the Indian market would react to Futsal, and as I said the reaction has been amazing. They want more of it, and we’re more than happy to conduct a longer season.
“There are no plans to open a futsal academy at the moment, but as I said this was a test season. Now, we’ll sit to evaluate the first season. There will be a lot of meetings, and we’ll see what is best for the future.”
