On November 15, 2021 Canada FUT-SAL™ -(CNFA) made history in Canadian Indoor Soccer (FUT-SAL™) since the sport's establishment in Canada, August 1983.
BY PETER MARTIN | CNFATV AND RADIO
After two hugely successful months of open camps to select athletes for the Canadian National Futbol de Salon (FUT-SAL™) team were concluded in style.
It was fantastic to see the interest from the public in the national squad and a delegation comprising of 36 Canadians departed to Paraguay to represent Canada at the (Category) "C15 Mundial de Futbol de Salon 2021". The majority of the squad had members basing in Ontario and Quebec following COVID-19 guidelines set by the association in relation with other applicable public health guidelines in Canada.
With no leagues permitted to run in indoor sports since March 2020 lockdowns, discovering and selecting a youthful Team Canada was a challenge for then interim head coach Marco Leite and Goalkeeping department coach Christopher Dinallo.
Selected Players: Alex Trahan, Cruz Rosales, Alexis Paradis, Emilio Dinallo, Zacharie Lanteigne, Fabio Cabrera, Mylo Noel, Jayden Rocha, Adrian Rivero, Matthew Medaglia, Marcos Iraheta, Rodrigo Alcon, Joshua Veiga, Gianluca Portante, Rocky Choo, Joseph Catalano, Denzel Acosta, Juan Vasquez.
Team Canada captain and flag bearer, Mr. Vasquez, and the team, received the Canadian flag from Honourable Faisal Hassan the provincial member of parliament elect for Weston South where CNFA headquarters are located. During a remote memorable send off presentation, Team Canada delegation felt the support which they'll remember for the rest of their lives.
Canada was drawn in series A, with Brazil, Mexico and Spain. On average, each game was watched on digital TV channels in North and South America including Europe, Asia, Africa etc by 500,000 people plus per game. Other social media outlets included Facebook and YouTube by 70,000 viewers on average per game, with a total of at least 15 million viewers. For a Youth Event (category 15) this was milestone for Canada as a country and the sport of FUTBOL DE SALON -FUT-SAL™.
Some Canadian athletes signed their first autographs during the event as well as playing Futbol de Salon in schools and on the streets of South America with locals for the first time in their careers; learning the culture and the roots of Salao Indoor Soccer.
Canadians witnessed a group of young players lifting our flag high to the best of their abilities against Brazil, Mexico, USA, Spain, Ecuador. Their performance on and off the hard wood court for 10 plus days identified who we are as a country. They made us proud, they're roll models, new stars. We'll continue to look for support and partners for youth across Canada to play the sport and develop their talents in order to represent Canada one day similar or the same way this C15's team did in Paraguay 2021. More so, I want to send a round of applause to all our volunteers and chaperones, they maintained the group with no cases of Covid-19 all athletes, traveling parents, sponsors -THE DOWNSVIEW GROUP, VAUGHAN SPORTSPLEX2 LTD and many others who made this remarkable outing for the C15's team successful.
CNFA BOARD CHAIRMAN JOHNSON LUYIGA.
2022 Canada will prepare for the "C17 FUTSAL® World Cup Qualifiers 2022™", Women's FUTSAL® World Cup 2022™ and Men's FUTSAL® World Cup Qualifiers 2023™.
The Downsview Group and Sportsplex Ltd were partnership sponsors to athletes education and travel.
CNFA maintains the copyright and all rights, title, and interests to the laws of Indoor Soccer 5V5 played on the hardwood court with a smaller heavier ball, without limitation, right to sell, record, reproduce, broadcast, transmit, exhibit, distribute, advertise and exploit Salao Indoor Soccer.