Beach Soccer Tournament is something to see

Beach soccer is a fast-paced game that s also fun to watch and gaining popularity. (Picture of 2013 USA Cup Beach Soccer Tournament in San Diego, CA)

Beach soccer?  Really?  Yep!  Beach soccer is here on Okinawa, and a stretch of beach near Igei Marine Park is the setting for this weekend’s beach soccer tournament.

The 7th Kin Town Mayor’s Cup Global Environment Sport Beach Soccer Festival 2014 will take place Saturday and Sunday, with activities getting under way about 9 a.m. Kick-offs are slated for 10:20 a.m. on the Saturday and 9 a.m. on the 2nd.  Admisson is free.

Participating teams from the champion class are the Aomori Stallions, Chiba Prefecture Vamos a la casa, Kanagawa Prefecture CSA, Tokyo Bonnefemme, Kanagawa NOSOCKSYOKOHAMA, Niigata Fusion, Osaka DORSAL M.FC/ASHIYA, Yamaguchi Wipe Out and Brashear Yamaguchi, Fukuoka Dorsole Kita-Kyushu, and more. Okinawa’s world class team Sol Mar Praia and other teams such as FC Uruma and Kin Club will also be participating.

There will be 3 pitches established with three classes participating; champion class, fun class and junior class, each team with 15 players and a total of 45 teams.

Beach soccer, which is played by teams of five on courts smaller than used in normal soccer games, features fast action and game progression with more attempts at goal-scoring. Beach soccer is also characterized by a “mid-air strategy” of ball-passing by lifting, making it an engaging sport for both players and spectators alike.

Okinawa is home ground to Sol Mar Praia, the professional beach soccer team currently holding top position in the national beach soccer tournament circuit. Team members are involved in raising the profile of beach soccer in Japan, and hope that more people can drop by to watch or engage in a round of beach soccer while out on a day at the beach.

01:07 29 Mar , 2024