Kasarkod, Kerala win Barefoot Beach Soccer 2013

The government supports a 5-year vision plan to pursue bringing international competitions for the sport to Goa

CM extols TransStadia for bringing World-recognized Sport to Goa

Calangute, Goa, February 10, 2013: The inaugural edition of India’s first beach soccer championship cum musical extravaganza, Barefoot Fest 2013 concluded in style at Calangute Beach, Goa. Making the best use of Goa’s festive atmosphere and warm February sun, players representing 64 registered football clubs battled it out for the coveted trophy over four days of intense action. Despite being the very first beach soccer tournament in India, organized by Beach Soccer India, a division of TransStadia the event witnessed countless exciting feats, several nail-biting match results going down to the wire, tremendous response from the participants, whole-hearted support from the local Goans and tourists alike and eventually the Champions Kasarkod, Kerala.

Backed by an impeccable combination of sun, sand and soccer, the grand closing ceremony was held at Calangute Beach in the presence of the who’s who of Goa. Delighted with the success of the event and extending his complete support to the tournament, present at the ceremony was Honorable Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, along with Mr. Michael Lobo, MLA, Calangute Bardez, Dr. Rufino Monteiro (Chairman – Goa Football Development Council), Mrs. Anna Maria D’Souza (Sarpanch, Calangute Bardez), Mr. Shantaram Naik (Council Member, GFDC), Mr. Uday Limgutkar (Executive Member, GFA), Mr. Lavinio Rebello (VP, Goa Football Association), Mr.Alirio Lobo (Executive Member, GFA), Mr. Welvin Menezes (Executive Member, GFA), Mrs. Neethu Sheth (Executive Director, Setco Foundation), Mr. Harish Sheth (Setco automotive Ltd.), Mr. Shvetal Vakil (President, TransStadia), Mr. Narendra Punj (MD, Casino Royale) and Mr. Elvis Gomes (Executive Director – Sports Authority of Goa, Vice President – Goa Football Association  & Member Secretary – Goa Football Development Council).

Further promoting the sport of Beach Soccer, organizers of the event, along with the Setco Foundation hosted a women’s Beach Soccer exhibition match to encourage and promote the sport among women. Another noteworthy highlight of the day was a special media match which saw the best of media houses from across the State come together on one common platform.

The six-day mega sporting and music bonanza brought an eclectic mix of beach soccer and entertainment to the Goan shores. The action-packed week attracted both locals and tourists who came in large numbers to cheer players and support their favorite team while thumping music added energy and enthusiasm to the matches. The championship’s five a side games were played in accordance with official sporting rules as laid out by Beach Soccer Worldwide (BSWW) – the international governing body of Beach Soccer.  Each crisp and brief game witnessed an exciting display of talent and skill with an average scoring rate of 1 goal every 3 minutes, making the games highly eventful and keeping spectators involved and energized throughout.

The two day musical extravaganza held on 8^th and 9^th February, brought the best of international and Indian DJ’s on the same dais to entertain Electronic Dance Music (EDM) lovers with their musical beats. Performances by DJ Sasha, DJ Simon Patterson, DJ Marlo, DJ Tuhin Mehta, DJ Arjun Vagale, DJ Ankytrixx and DJ Mon (E) took the festival to a different level, thus raising the bar of expectations for the next tournament now officially sanctioned to be held bi-annually. With an outstanding blend of sport, music and entertainment, Barefoot Fest 2013 proved to be a true sporting extravaganza which gave professional beach soccer the perfect launch in India.

Commenting on the success of the inaugural Barefoot Fest 2013, Mr. Udit Sheth – MD & CEO TransStadia said, “Goa provided the ideal launch for beach soccer. The enthusiastic people, the fantastic beaches, the vibrant tourism and the most supportive Goa Government and the Goa Football Development Council made the event truly inclusive with electrifying competition.  We are committed towards building this sport and its talent pool here and will be also doing continuous competitions here. The icing on the cake was the quality of high energy and competitive football played on the sand which is not easy at all. We congratulate all the teams for their participation and in particular Kasarkod, Kerala who played several highlight reel moments through their march to the finals and eventually the trophy.”

Doing their bit to preserve the beautiful Calangute beach, TransStadia made sure the championship did not spoil the venue in any way, and in fact cleaned up a part of the beach which was abused for the last 2 decades and handed it back to the government in pristine condition. The beach was cleaned on a daily basis, highlighting the organizers’ commitment to a cleaner and healthier Goa. Other than the matches, the world-class T-Box Mobile Arena that hosted the championship matches for the first time in India also took centre-stage. The multi-purpose and flexible T-Box is set to revolutionize stadium construction and become a permanent feature in stadia and arenas around the world.

Promoted by  TransStadia and supported by Govt. of Goa, Goa Football Development Council and Beach Soccer Worldwide (BSWW), Barefoot Fest 2013 was organized in association with Vh1, co-sponsored by Casino Royale, Oakley, DSK Hyosung, Kingfisher – Packaged Drinking water, Red Bull and Partners, Spice Jet, Book my show, T-Box, 92.7 BIG FM, Clear Chanel and SportsKeeda.

With a fantastic inaugural season leaving its footprint in the Goan sands, the next edition of Barefoot promises to bring more adrenalin-pumping action, featuring some of the finest football talent in the country.

Results at a glance:

Winners of Barefoot 2013 – Beach Soccer Championship – Kasarkod Kerala – Awarded the championship trophy and cash prize of Rs. 75,000

Runners-up of Barefoot 2013 – Beach Soccer Championship – Goa United – Awarded the runners-up trophy and cash prize of Rs. 50,000

Player of the Tournament: Mahamood K, Kasarkod Kerala – Awarded a trophy and sunglasses by Oakleys

Best goal-keeper: Mohammad Shahid, Kasarkod Kerala – Awarded a trophy and sunglasses by Oakleys