Futsal and CIO:

General Secretaryship – WFA- AMF

That Futsal “for the time being” won’t be in the Olympic Games

Next I transcribe a fragment of the resolution from Commission of the CIO, in which determine that the Futsal can’t be included in the Olympic Games of 2008. From its lecture we can extract interesting conclusions that will permit us to obtain a line of work to protect our rights.

Pedro R. Bonnettini

3.2 Requests to recommend new disciplines: The work of this Committee is to consider the requests that recommend changes into the field, or to reduce the size of the Olympic program.

The presence of new discipline (1) among the existing ones was not availed by this Committee. To take this decision, the committee observed the next points referred to new disciplines (1), as the requested by the FIFA for the Futsal (2).

The Committee considered the global participation in this discipline and the conclusion was to not include events of similar nature into an existing sport, as the Soccer is (3). The requirements of this request were considered in separated places and in spite of the announced reason, is why this decision was made.

Therefore, the committee recommends the “No Admission” of the Futsal into the program of the Olympic Games. “The Committee, considered the low participation in this modality (4) as a principle of no admittance of an event of this nature, and the request of an specific place for the practice”

Considerations:

1. “Low participation world wide...”
“The Futsal is practiced in more than 100 affiliated countries to the FIFA. Only in Brazil are more than 12 million of players (Source: FIFA), in Italy, there are near 4 million of players and more than 2000 Futsal teams (Source: UEFA) (5). And in other countries like France, Germany and Scotland, is taking place an intense campaign to include the Futsal in the Winter Olympic Games, to take place in Turin, 2006 (7), calculating that in Europe exists more than 25 millions of players (Source: UEFA).

In Japan, there are more than 1 million of players, also approximately 1500 Futsal teams (Source in Tokyo – Osny Arashiro and collaboration of Kunishiro Otsuka) (8). In the US more than 2 million of players, and almost 1100 teams affiliated to the USFF (9).

After the success it was the Futsal FIFA World Cup realized in Guatemala 2000, the FIFA launched a program to develop the Futsal among men and women, with help from the Confederations and their respective Federations, reaching 126 countries. The Women’s Futsal is growing day by day, today is being practiced approximately in 50 countries.

2. “…Similar nature…”
This affirmation includes two themes for interpretation, first of all, never participated in an event similar to Olympic games, in sportive competences being part of the South American games, which was a success and this helped to it inclusion for the Pan-American Games of 2007. It did it with the WFA in 1994 and 1998, and with FIFA in 2002 and 2006 (10).

About the similitude with other modalities like Soccer, we know that Futsal is developed with it own foundation and abilities. Other sports have similar characteristics such as Beach Volley, or Gym Volley, artistic Gymnastics or Rhythm Gymnastics, Water Polo or Swimming, Canoe or Rowing, Judo or Taekwon-do, Tennis or table Tennis. This is the request maintained between AMF and FIFUSA (11).

3. “…Request for a separated local…”
The rules of the FIFA indicate that measurements to play Futsal won’t be superior to 42 m long and 22 m wide, or inferior to 38 m long and 18 m wide. The Futsal games can perfectly be played in locals where other sports are played, such as Handball, Basketball, Volleyball and other similar.

One of the reasons that the futsal is growing permanently and getting very popular is precisely because it can be developed in combination with the practice of other gym sports, open or close local.

4. “…Matters of conflict…”
Nowadays there are around the world organizations that reclaim the rights of property of the Futsal, besides the Soccer is recognized by the IOC and corresponded, the Futsal FIFA. The existence of the other organization can´t be ignored, which is not making any complain (12).

(1) Football 5 of the FIFA can’t be considerate as a new discipline, is only a variant of the sportive modality of the FIFA, the football soccer.

(2) Either cant be consider as Futsal, because when is considerate a sportive variant of an original modality, shall add to the specialty the original name of the sport. Beach Football, Women Football, etc. and as corresponds, on it original presentation, the whole was presented as “Football 5”.

(3) The Futsal or original Saloon Football as almost nothing similar to Football Soccer and this can be demonstrated technically. From the 27 technical signs or gestures that integrate the futsal rules, only 2 of them are similar to the Football Soccer, and one more, partially. In spite, it has almost 20 coincidences with the Basketball and Handball. Enough evidence to demostrate that the IOC didn’t realized any serious research about the components of this new sport.

(4) Another reference that demonstrates the need of information and equality treat, we can demonstrate that many sports that are part of the Olympic program have less participation and existence in the world.

(5) Doubtful number offered by the FIFA, who says that in Italy exist 4.000.000 players and more than 2.000 teams. These numbers indicate that for each team there are 2.000 players.

(6) The Futsal did not integrate the Winter Olympic Games in 2007.

(7) Doubtful number offered by the UEFA, very far from reality.

(8) Doubtful number offered by the FIFA that says in Japan exists 666 players per club.

(9) Doubtful number offered by Futsal FIFA in the USA, that indicates 1.818 players per club.

(10) Its recognized our participation in the South American Sportive Games 1994/1998, only remains to mention those in 2002 and 2006 in Argentina and Bolivia.

(11) Its recognized the base of our complain, already expressed in the Point 3.

(12) Only with the text we can realize about the present situation.