PFL takes futsal to greater heights

By Mark C. Giongco

INQUIRER.net



ANILA�The Philippine Futsal League is already a testament that futsal is one of the fastest rising sports in the country, but its organizers hope to take the league a step higher.

Founded by Iranian born coach Esmaeil Sedigh of the Philippine national team, the PFL�like any other league trying to establish its name�started from scratch before carving futsal into the local sporting world�s consciousness.

�We really had to start from somewhere before anything else,� said Sedigh, a former first division U21 football player in Iran.

�We�re (Philippines) one of the countries who have leagues for futsal, not all countries have one,� added Sedigh, who first became as an assistant coach in 2005 for the country�s national squad before being tapped as head coach two years after.

Sedigh noticed the potential of Filipinos to excel internationally in this fast-paced sport, which prompted him to conceptualize the PFL. How good can Filipinos be in the sport? The country�s men�s futsal team has risen to No. 88 in the world and Sedigh doesn�t see the climb stopping anytime soon.

�Before, we had problems scouting players. We had to go to provinces and different schools. We just had a hard time,� Sedigh recalled.

The PFL solved that problem. The league flushed players out of hiding and gave them a venue to showcase their skills. Now, nearly the entire women�s national futsal team was discovered in the PFL.



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