The development of futsal is very slow

The current player for the Residence and Foreigners Affairs Team – Dubai, Badr Ibrahim Mubarak, said that the development of futsal in the country is moving slowly, and it needs greater efforts to keep pace with the development of the game at the Asian and global levels, stressing that this is not the responsibility of the Football Association alone, but rather requires joint cooperation from the clubs and support from the sports councils.

Badr Ibrahim told Emirates Today: “In order for the sport of futsal to develop in the Emirates, it needs to secure the technical stability that it has lacked for many years, due to the withdrawal of strong teams that have a large balance of distinguished players, in addition to the joining of new teams with limited experience… This technical stability will contribute a lot to the development of the game.”

Badr Ibrahim, who is considered the dean of futsal players in the Emirates (42 years old), added: “There is development in futsal, but it is very slow and does not fit with the modern infrastructure of the clubs and with the presence of a large number of players and fans who love this game. We also need to increase the number of tournaments to increase the number of matches and develop expertise.”

He explained, “There is an urgent need for the Football Association to intervene to accelerate the development of futsal, through effective measures, including encouraging or obligating the clubs under its umbrella to participate in futsal tournaments, such as: Al-Wasl, Al-Nasr, Al-Ain, Al-Jazira, Al-Dhafra, Al-Wahda, Sharjah, Fujairah and other clubs that have previously had successful experiences in the game.”

Players without clubs

Badr Ibrahim added: “There are many national players who participate in U-21 competitions and other age groups, but they cannot find clubs in which to play on grass courts. If there were enough teams in the halls, these players would be able to continue practicing sports in an environment that suits their abilities, which protects talents from premature stopping.”

He explained that “the clubs’ interest in the first team that participates in the professional league or the first division sometimes comes at the expense of the futsal teams, which negatively affects their development.”

The team and the media

Badr Ibrahim stressed that media support is an essential factor in the development of futsal, especially through television broadcasting, which contributes to informing the public of the laws of the game and increasing its popularity.

As for the national team, he explained that the conditions for its development are available, but the matter requires a clear strategic plan to form a strong and competitive team for the future, and not just a temporary team, stressing the importance of the clubs’ contribution to supporting the team.

A distinguished march

Badr Ibrahim revealed that he has been playing futsal since 2010, and has played with five clubs: Al-Wasl, Al-Nasr, Al-Bataeh, Maliha and Al-Hamriya, and is currently playing with the Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai.

He is proud of his career with the national team, which lasted about 10 years, during which he played a large number of official and friendly matches, and achieved beautiful memories with the “White Futsal Club” in various tournaments.

As for titles, he indicated that he won 15 championships, including nine league championships, four President’s Cup championships, and two Emirates Cup championships.

. In order for futsal to develop, it needs to secure the technical stability that it has lacked for many years due to the withdrawal of strong teams.