Sports News of Sunday, 5 May 2024

Source: footballghana.com

FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Seychelles 2025 brand launched in vibrant ceremony

The tournament will be hosted by a CAF member association for the first time in 2025 The tournament will be hosted by a CAF member association for the first time in 2025

The FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Seychelles 2025 brand was revealed at a vibrant, colorful ceremony held in the Indian Ocean nation, attended by the President of the Republic of Seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan, and the Seychelles Football Federation (SFF) President, Elvis Chetty.

The tournament will be hosted by a CAF member association for the first time and follows hot on the heels of the hugely successful FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup UAE 2024 Dubai™, which was attended by more than 70,000 fans.

The brand launch, held at the Kempinski Seychelles Resort on the south side of Mahé Island, epitomized the vibrant energy of the islands and featured a fire dance involving local drummers and dancers.

The SFF President and chairman of the Local Organizing Committee, Chetty, said, "The FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2025 isn't merely a tournament; it's a beacon of opportunity for the Seychelles. Hosting an event of this magnitude has a significant impact, promising to usher in an era of unparalleled growth and development for our islands and the football community at large."

First held in 2005, the 2025 edition of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup™ will be the 13th installment of a tournament that has been held every two years since 2009. Following outstanding events held in the AFC (Dubai in 2009 and 2024), Concacaf (the Bahamas in 2017), CONMEBOL (Paraguay in 2019), the OFC (Tahiti in 2013), and UEFA (Italy in 2011, Portugal in 2015, and Russia in 2021) regions, the tournament will have been hosted by every confederation within just 12 years after the 2025 edition.

"This will be the first-ever FIFA tournament to be staged in the Seychelles and the first FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Africa, making it a historic event for our organization," said FIFA Director of Tournaments Jaime Yarza. "It also shows that we're making football truly global by taking our tournaments to fascinating and varied locations."

He continued, "The Seychelles will provide a stunning backdrop for this competition, which promises to leave a valuable legacy for the islands. We hope that everyone in the Seychelles and around the world has the opportunity to watch a fantastic beach soccer tournament played in a tropical paradise."

Beach soccer is a highly entertaining sport, and although it demands special skills, it has much in common with football played on regular pitches. It is a simple game that is contested on the sand, unites the world, and averages more goals per match than any other format of the beautiful game, always promising a fun and action-packed day out for fans of all ages.