“I am happiest when I play the game I want while exchanging passes with my teammates.
Ball sports such as futsal and soccer, which were considered only men’s sports, are experiencing a “girl wind.” Particularly in Daegu, as more and more women enjoy active sports, the number of female futsal clubs is increasing noticeably.
A futsal field on the 8th floor of Sangin Branch of Lotte Department Store in Dalseo-gu, Daegu. In the late evening, members of the Daegu women’s futsal team, ‘Tiki-Taka’, entered the ground lit only by night lights. Wearing black leggings or jogger pants, they wore sleeveless padding in rather cold weather.
Most of the 20 members were in their 20s and 30s. Occupations ranged from teachers, self-employed people, dance instructors, taekwondo players, and pianists. Among these members, there were also five so-called ‘elected’.
Shortly after meeting each other and exchanging good-byes, the members started training in a rather serious atmosphere. After the combination training of exchanging passes between defensive pressures, dribbling training to break through the cone obstacle continued. Their training was conducted by a former athlete coach.
After that, a 5-on-5 futsal match was held between the members. He didn’t shrink even in strong physical fights, and even if he fell, he quickly brushed himself off and got up and ran again. There were times when I saw a fairly sharp pass or a shot with strong power. As the goalposts swayed, the members burst into cheers.
Of course, it wasn’t without mistakes. During trapping, when he missed the ball or missed a shot, the members around him said, “It’s okay,” and read it consolingly. The coach who watched them occasionally communicated what needed correction. “Narrow the defense, widen the offense!”, “Don’t try to be too fast, position yourself well!”
◆Women’s futsal rooted in Daegu
Formed in May of last year, Tiki-Taka is one of the representative women’s futsal teams in Daegu. Currently, all 20 members are full, and there are even those who are waiting for a preliminary turn.
It’s not just tiki-taka. In the past year or two, several women’s futsal teams have been formed in Daegu, and now there are about 10 of them. Most of them operate in small groups of 20 to 30 people. Most of these teams receive new members through SNS such as Instagram.
What was interesting was that the vast majority of teams operated in a similar way. Most teams are operated in such a way that coaches who are former athletes guide members based on basic skills and then conduct actual matches. In some teams, an elected member may act as a manager or coach. There are many members who are new to futsal, so there is a big reason why they need expert guidance.
Bang Woo-ri (34), the president of Tiki-Taka, has been living a life inseparable from the ball ever since he fell in love with soccer, which he came across by chance in college. Working as a physical education teacher in Daegu, he kicked a ball with like-minded friends on his days off, and founded a futsal team in earnest last year.
Mr. Bang said, “Tiki-Taka is the name of the team with the hope that we can exchange not only passes, but also hearts.”
Some have been playing futsal for several years, but there are also ‘futlinyi’ (futsal + children) who have just started kicking the ball. They burn their will more as they see their skills growing day by day. During training, he recalls the regrets he had and puts more effort into practice.
Song Ye-eun (30), who has been playing futsal for 7 months, said, “I came across futsal for fun with my acquaintances, and then completely fell in love with it.”
Kim Eun-byeol (26), who works as a dance instructor, said, “Some people around me say why I play futsal instead of going to the gym or golf. Still, since I’m fun, I rather promote it.” If you get used to it to some extent, you will be able to enjoy it in earnest.” 바카라사이트
◆If there is no competition, which is women’s futsal thirsty for competition,
the fun of any sport is halved. After anyone develops their skills, they want to check their position by bumping into others.
However, unlike the increasing number of female futsal clubs, it is difficult to find competitions in the region where they can compete with each other.
The only women’s futsal competition held in Daegu is the ‘Daegu Mayor Women’s Futsal Competition’ held by the Daegu City Futsal Federation from 2021. The competition held once a year is not enough to satisfy the thirst of female futsal players. The men’s competition was the Daegu Mayor’s Competition, and the Sports Festival for All. It is in contrast to various things such as association shogi and various sports club competitions.
Did they say that the thirsty man dug a well? Local women’s futsal players have created their own competition-style games. On the 11th, Tikitaka invited 5 Daegu women’s futsal teams and held a friendly exchange match at J Futsal Park in Buk-gu, Daegu. This friendly exchange match was held with the support of the Daegu Futsal Federation.
Mr. Bang said, “When I proposed a friendly match, the other teams accepted it with delight. Everyone was very thirsty for the tournament,” he said. “The referee asked the coaches of each team to save money as much as possible.
As the demand for club members is rapidly increasing, efforts are being made to expand the base of women’s futsal in the region.
Choi Tae-won, chairman of the Daegu City Futsal Federation, said, “We will prepare for the Daegu Mayor’s competition that started in 2021 this year as well.”