Futsal’s Olympic Spirit

With the Olympic Games in Tokyo drawing to a close, Jamie Fahey, author of Futsal: The Story of an Indoor Football Revolution, presents the case for the sport’s inclusion at future Olympiads.

Richarlison did it for me. Last time, it was Neymar sealing Olympic gold for Brazil. In Brazil. The country where futsal is the nation’s “laboratory of improvisation,” a breathless game of the streets, favelas, indoor halls, and schools. In Tokyo, seeing Everton’s “Brazilian who only cost £50 million” lead the 2021 seleção to a men’s football final against Spain—Europe’s primary futsal-playing nation—only raised the volume in my mind. Why on earth is the FIFA-sanctioned five-a-side game, played by 60 million from Tehran to Buenos Aires, still not part of the Olympic jamboree?

Not a new question. But one to be asked with fresh zeal given the nascent urban spirit on show at the Games, from Sky Brown on the skateboard to Charlotte Worthington pirouetting on the BMX, the creative chaos of the Rugby Sevens and, of course, the 3v3 basketball stars embodying their slogan: “From the streets to the Olympics.” The game born in the YMCAs of 1930s South America has held a torch for the Olympic dream ever since its rise to professionalism began in the 1980s.

Continue reading the article via this link: https://www.mhpbooks.com/futsals-olympic-spirit-by-jamie-fahey/

Olympic petition

Recently, started by futsal coach Andre Caro, an Olympic petition for futsal has been gaining support, to show you support go to this link and sign: https://bit.ly/3xBoza9

Futsal – The Story of an Indoor Football Revolution

Jamie Fahey, the writer of this article has mentioned in the introduction released a fantastic new book called ‘Futsal – The Story of an Indoor Football Revolution.’ Fahey makes the case for futsal’s transformative grassroots effect, both in the UK and abroad. He also tells the story of futsal’s politics, tactics and personalities – and in doing so, illuminates a hidden corner of sporting history.

Futsal Focus supports the Donate4Dáithí campaign

To follow the Donate4Dáithí campaign, you can visit their website here: www.donate4daithi.org  or on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/Donate4Daithi you can also donate money to their campaign at: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/donate4daithi