The entry of Premier Futsal in India has turned out impressive in ways more than one. The presence of star names as well as the fast-paced five-a-side football matches in display has definitely intrigued the sports fans in the country.
Now with the majority of the first season still to be played, plans for making the event bi-annual is already being thought upon. Luis Figo, the mastermind of the tournament, has mentioned that he wants to take futsal everywhere within the country and he is contemplating starting the second season of the event in India in January 2017.
"Yes, we are looking at January for the second season. We are here to promote Futsal for Futsal, not for any other motive. It is a private investment, so our focus will be to create this property," Figo was quoted as saying by Press Trust of India on Monday.
"Going forward there can be eight, ten and 12 [teams]. We hope we can improve the quality of the game. Whatever happens along the way, it will. There always are problem, which are always going to pull you down. But we must focus on or end objective and do our best for Futsal," added the Portugal football legend.
The ongoing edition of the Premier Futsal has six teams. Originally, eight teams were expected to play a part but two teams were cut down at the last minute. There was some opposition from the All India Football Federation (AIFF) as well. However, despite the challenges, the tournament started off smoothly and it is expected that ahead of the second edition in the country, there would be a full-fledged player auction.
"This is the first Indian platform for Futsal where Indian talent can play with international stars. India has great passion for sports, with full stadiums, I think there is great future for Premier Futsal," mentioned Figo.
