Doha: Qatar trounced Nepal 5-1 while tournament favourites Portugal demolished the Philippines 7-0 in the opening group games of the Qatar Nations Beach Soccer Cup at Al Gharafa Stadium.
Sixteen teams representing 16 nations are taking part in a competition which takes place this month on Fridays and Saturdays at the Al Gharafa Stadium and Katara Beach, informed the organisers of the event
Algeria, Egypt, Europe United, France, India, Indonesia, Lebanon, Nepal, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey, are the teams taking part in the tournament.
The teams have been divided into four groups with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the quarter-final stage.
From the last-eight stage the tournament will follow the knockout system.
The event is organised by Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee in association with Qsports Leagues and is a build up for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Asian Qualifiers which will start on January 22 at the Katara Beach.
Japan alongside with hosts Qatar, Afghanistan, Australia, Bahrain, China, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan are the participating teams in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Asian Qualifiers which end on January 26.
The 16 top Asian countries for the Doha event have been divided into four groups.
The top team from each group will advance to the semi-finals, while the finalists and the third-place team will qualify for the 2013 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Tahiti in September.
The semi-finalists and finalists of the Qatar Nations Beach Soccer Cup will have the opportunity to play at the Katara Beach Stadium during the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Asian Qualifiers, informed the organisers.
The winner of the event will get QR12, 000 and the runner-up team QR8,000. The third place finisher will get QR5,000.
A total of 16 Asian nations will participate in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
The next round of group games is scheduled for tomorrow at the Al Gharafa stadium. Entry is free for spectators.
The tournament is designed to showcase the excitement and fast paced thrills of beach soccer to the residents of Qatar by allowing local communities to both represent and support their national feams in a beach soccer extravaganza.
In addition to dazzling the fans with the fast and furious pace of beach soccer, the event celebrates the cultural diversity of Qatar – bringing different cultures and communities together to watch and play an alternative version of the ‘beautiful game’.
A full tournament schedule and game timings can be found at www.qsportsleagues.com along with match results and details.
The Peninsula
