Futsal can never replace football

Football games involving five players or fewer have been a regular activity in void decks, school fields, grass patches and street parks for decades.

It is played wherever there is space to accommodate players.

It is also included in the training programmes of teams engaged in competitive football, to round off sessions of stamina, speed, and technical and tactical skills.

These have been in existence long before the official word "futsal" was coined.

However, it is rather optimistic to expect a futsal game to draw thousands to a stadium and millions to the TV, and ignite passions and solidarity nationwide, as association football can (Future of Singapore football lies in futsal, by Mr Toh Cheng Seong; July 19).

Futsal can never replace the allure and compelling excitement of 22 men on a field tussling for a ball to boot into their opponents' goal, through the use of physical skills and strategies.

George Pasqual

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