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After T20, get ready for shorter version of Football

With football frenzy at an all time high due to the upcoming World Cup, a group of youngsters have come up with a shorter version of the game to give sport enthusiasts a platform to show off their skills.

New Delhi: With football frenzy at an all time high due to the upcoming World Cup, a group of youngsters have come up with a shorter version of the game to give sport enthusiasts a platform to show off their skills.
Street Football Championship is a five-day event where teams, comprising of five players each, would vie for a prize money of 50,000 at 27, Akbar Road here beginning on June 8. A group of school and Delhi University students namely, Aman Arora, Agastya Dalmia, Tushar Bedi, Ankur Pujara, Ankur Chauhan and Karan Verma, had set up a ‘Delhi Street Football Club’ to give sport enthusiasts a platform to pursue the sports. “This street football is very popular in Latin America and we want to replicate the same passion here on Delhi streets with this unique concept. It’s fast and furious shorter version of the game with the excitment at its maximum level,” Dalmia told reporters.Formed in 2009, the club held its first tournament last year in June with 32 teams participating in it. This year already 64 entries have been registered for the championship beginning June 8 at 27, Akbar Road. The winner team will be richer by Rs 50,000 and would be presented an air ticket to Malaysia sponsored by Air Asia airlines. “This five-day championship, which will go on till 12th, involves a set of rules which are very different from mainstream football. Street Football is an informal game that does not necessarily utilise the requirements of a formal game such as a large field, field markings, goal apparatus and corner flags and eleven players per team. “The game takes place in a netted area and the complicated rules like ‘offside’ and the rule that keepers must not pick up a ‘backpass’ are often disregarded. It does not need a huge playground to be played (the area of the field is 73ft X 63ft),” Dalmia said. The tournament has been divided into four categories – Under 16, Under 21, Corporate league and Girls league and each game will be for 30 minutes, with 15 minutes halves. The total number of matches to be played in this knock-out event are 31. The participation fee has been kept at Rs 600 per head which means a team particpation (5-a-side) will cost Rs 3,000. Players have to be in the age group of 16 and 23 and matches will be played from 4pm to 10:30 pm under lights. “We have got certified referees for the matches from another city-based football club -- Royal Football Club,” said Dalmia. PTI