Malaysia to push beach football: report

Malaysia’s football association says it plans to promote beach football across the country, with a slew of events aimed at gauging how Malaysians respond to the game, according to reports.

Chairman of the body’s football and beach soccer committee Hamidin Mohamed Amin told the Star daily three beach soccer carnivals would be held in 2009.

“The game is still in the infant stages here and we are testing waters before we take it to the district, state and national levels,” he was quoted as saying by the paper.

He said the first beach soccer event would be the inaugural Tower Beach Soccer Langkawi Carnival on northern Kedah state’s Langkawi island March 20-22 with the two others planned in the resort island of Penang and the east coast state of Pahang.

Organisers of the Langkawi carnival told the paper they expect 64 teams to take part in the three-day competition.