FOOTBALL: The hugely popular Tekkim Cup football competition is underway in Phuket with 24 teams fighting it out for the title of champions.
The 8th annual edition of the seven-a-side tournament started last Monday (Mar 20) and runs until next Friday (Mar 31).
There are a total of 24 teams from Phuket and the surrounding provinces contesting the competition in senior and junior age categories, with six teams in the under 10 age group. Each team is limited to seven players on the field at any one time but with a rolling substitution format meaning players can swap at will throughout the games.
There are trophies for the winners in both the senior and youth age groups as well as awards for top scorer in each category. There is a total of B210,000 in cash to be won in the senior age category, with B120,000 going to the winning team, B50,000 to the beaten finalist, B30,000 to the third place team and B10,000 to the team that finishes fourth.
Thammawat Wongcharoenyot, President of the Phuket Sports Association, presided over the opening ceremony of competition on Monday at the “7 Soccer Club” artifical football fields in Muang district on Monday, joined by Sophon Kiemkarn, officer from the Public Relations office of Phuket, and Pisut Boonkoy, President of the Tekkim Cup competition.
In addition to developing skills among players, Mr Thammawat explained that the competition aims to encourage young people to get active and involved in playing sports to enhance fitness levels and desuade youngsters from getting involved with drugs and aillegal activities.
