INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Excitement about this year&s FIFA Futsal World Cup
in Uzbekistan is building after FIFA and adidas unveiled the tournament&s official match
ball.Drawing on the event&s ‘Masters of Speed& motto, the design reflects the fast-paced nature of futsal, as well as Uzbekistan&s rich
cultural heritage. Five eye-catching interpretations of kalampir peppers & a key ingredient in traditional Uzbek cuisine & adorn the ball,
each one masterfully crafted in a way that represents a player in motion, never standing still, just like on the futsal pitch.The capsicum
also forms a striking part of the competition&s Official Emblem, which is shaped like the FIFA Futsal World Cup trophy, with five forms of
the kalampir peppers forming a ball at the top.The new match ball will make its official debut when the FIFA Futsal World Cup Uzbekistan
2024 & the first FIFA tournament to be held in Central Asia & kicks off in Bukhara and the capital Tashkent on 14 September. The eastern
city of Andijan completes the trio of host cities for the 24-team competition. The 2024 edition will be the 10th in FIFA Futsal World Cup
history and will run until 6 October.Futsal has grown rapidly in Uzbekistan & and across Central Asia & over the last decade. The White
Wolves participated in the FIFA Futsal World Cup for the first time in 2016 and went on to reach the knockout phase in 2021, losing one of
the most pulsating games in the tournament&s history 9-8 to IR Iran in the last 16.Uzbekistan will be joined at the competition by all four
former champions & Argentina, Brazil, Portugal and Spain & and four debutants in Afghanistan, France, New Zealand and Tajikistan. Angola,
Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Guatemala, Iran, Kazakhstan, Libya, Morocco, the Netherlands, Panama, Paraguay, Thailand, Ukraine and Venezuela
round out the line-up, having successfully negotiated a 121-team qualifying field.Earlier this year, the first-ever FIFA Futsal World
Ranking was published for both the men&s and the women&s game, with the top six teams & Brazil, Portugal, Spain, IR Iran, Argentina and
Morocco & heading to Uzbekistan next month.The launch of the ranking was a major milestone and reinforced futsal&s position as a
rapidly-expanding version of the beautiful game, which more countries than ever before are playing.Futsal has also grown in popularity in
Afghanistan over the past few years and in line with this, Ariana Television will broadcast matches live in Afghanistan. The national
team&s first match will be played on September 15 and will see Afghanistan face Angola. The post Official match ball unveiled for Futsal
World Cup Uzbekistan 2024 first appeared on Ariana News.
