After last year’ s success, this beach sport is back into action with a three-week thriller. On perfectly rigged golden sand, a few steps away from the water’s edge and under scorching sunshine, players will confront each other for the prestigious Coca-Cola Zero Beach Soccer Cup.
This year’s event will be on from 20 June to 5 July.
The event will be held at Golden Bay in Ghajn Tuffieha, where a beach soccer stadium will be built for three weeks to hold all the matches in the programme.
This year’s edition will be organised by MBA Sports World in collaboration with the Malta Sports Council and the Mellieha Local Council.
The Tour is being sponsored by Coca-Cola Zero, Budweiser, J20, Eurosport, Le Meridien St.Julians Hotel & SPA, Union Print, Big Exhibits, Melita Sports, Radio 101, Munchies Beach Café, One Sport and stephengatt.com.
Other sporting activities
Last year was a try and this year will surely be a guarantee. Female Beach Soccer was introduced for the first time last summer and will once again be a hit this season. All matches will be played between Wednesdays and Sundays, with alternative sports activities organised on the other days.
Once again the Malta Handball Association has partnered with the event and a Beach Handball tournament will be organised, in which 14 teams will participate, eight in the males’ category and six in the females’ category. Participating teams include Kavallieri, Luxol, La Salle, St.Aloysius and a representative of the national team.
Apart from the already mentioned disciplines, the event also welcomes Beach Tennis.
The activities are sponsored by HEAD, who created this programme to enhance the popularity of tennis with all generations. This programme could be used with groups of 15 to 20 athletes at one time.
Played in a mini-court complete with a net and together with sets of cones, hurdles, markers and hoola hoops. This will surely be an interesting game to watch.
The Mellieha Local Council will also take this opportunity to once again organise a sportive event for the habitants of Mellieha. The activities will be coordinated by Hilary Fenech, a councillor within the Mellieha Local Council. Details in this regard were given by Mr Fenech himself.
Finally, the Maltese Council for Sport will relocate one of its popular sports programmes to Golden Bay. Bernard Vassallo, KMS Chairman, stated that Sports Buzz is a recently launched sports programme, intended to target children from the Cottonera area, with the intention of including them in a ‘sport social world’.
Last but not least, Edward Borg from General Soft Drinks Co. Ltd, said: “This is the second year round for us to sponsor this popular event. It is a pleasure for us to partner such sporting organisations, thus enhancing more participation in sports and physical activity. Our aim is to develop further the role of sports in education and boost sports participation.
The registration
Interested Beach Soccer teams are to apply by registering on a Beach Series 2009 application and inserting their details as requested. Applications will only be accepted until 16 June.
Beach Soccer teams’ registrations are at a charge.
The organisers, MBA Sports World, can be contacted on 9944 7297 or via e-mail at [email protected]