Sharjah: A prize purse of Dh500,000 will be at stake for the Sharjah Ramadan Football Championship (SRFC), as some of the emirate’s strongest five-a-side teams battle for the title in the third edition of the event from May 18 to June 1.
A total of 16 teams will play in a four-group futsal knockout competition, and — for the first time — four junior sides will compete in a head-to-head format, making a total of 35 matches. The winner of the senior championship will receive Dh200,000, the losing finalist wins Dh100,000 and third placed team takes home Dh50,000.
In the youth category, Dh50,000 will be awarded to the winner and Dh30,000 to the runners-up. There will also be special prizes for the tournament’s highest goal scorer, the Most Valuable Player and the Goalkeeper of the Tournament.
Held under the patronage of Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, the matches will be held at Sharjah Sports Club.
While most of the futsal rules follow the five-a-side format, the matches are played on a hard court with a slightly smaller, heavier ball to reduce bounce. Players are also permitted to play the ball over head-height and can enter the penalty area, but they are restricted to pitch markings, without being able to bring the walls into play.
The four groups feature four teams each: Group A includes Al Bayan FC; Leader Sport Club; Sport Forever and Lenasi Club; Group B consists of La Magica, SDI Club, Al Forsan, Al Embrator; Group C comprises Enthar Club, The Falcons, Al Amal Club and Sharjah Police while Group D has Quattro, Al Bahri, Al Nojoom and The National.
