adminMwale recently attended a two-week coaching and refereeing course in Harare which had 20 coaching and an equal number of refereeing aspirants.
The course was conducted by a Brazilian based in Dubai and a Nigerian based in Abuja.
“We will be having an interim executive in place within the next few days and then after that we will approach various local authorities so as to put up structures there,” said Mwale.
The former Hwange goalie and Zimbabwe Under-17 assistant coach said while it is a reality that Matabeleland North and indeed the country as a whole had no beaches, setting up of the facilities was not an expensive project.
He predicted that the sport would grow faster than women’s football.
He said they would take sand from big rivers and construct pitches, making it quite affordable even for schools.
“Why the sport is growing at such a fast pace is that it is mainly played near hotels where cash rich people normally frequent,” said Mwale.
The sport is likely to grow faster in Hwange and Tsholotsho districts where there is Lukosi and Gwayi Rivers both with huge sand deposits. Beach Soccer started in Brazil and has grown to be an international game.
The participation of internationally renowned players such as flamboyant Frenchman and former Manchester United player Eric Cantona, legendary Spanish strikers Michel and Julio Salinas and Brazilian stars such as Romario, Junior and Zico has helped to expand
television coverage to large audiences in over 170 countries worldwide, making beach soccer one of the fastest growing professional sports in the world and converting it into a major showcase for international commercial opportunity.
It is recognised by Fifa with the biggest tournament being the World Cup, played after every two years across the world.
Pioneers of the game, Brazil won the cup two times in the last three tournaments before losing it to Russia in Italy last year.
From 1995 to 2005 (inclusive), teams were selected for the World Cup, they did not have to qualify.
However with the interest from so many countries, Fifa decided to standardise the format for the World Cup in 2006 for future World Cups.
Fifa agreed that countries from each confederation will play in Fifa Beach Soccer World Cup qualifiers, with 16 teams eventually qualifying for the finals. The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has two slots while Uefa has five, the highest number of entrants.
Online Reporter