DUSHANBE, April 11, Asia-Plus -- Tajikistan’s national team will take part in Asian Futsal Championship that will be held in Japan from May 13 to May 19.

According to the Football Federation of Tajikistan (FFT), Osaka will host the ninth edition of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Futsal Championship, which rotated among the AFC’s four zones.  “16 teams will take part in the championship,” said the source at a FFT, “Aside from the host, the other teams in the finals are Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Hong Kong, China, Turkmenistan, Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, Kuwait, Tajikistan, Philipines, Uzbekistan, etc.

In the qualifiction for the quarter final, Tajikistan, which will participate in Group A, will compete with Japan, Hong Kong and Philipines, according to the source.     

Futsal is an indoor version of football.  Futsal is played between two teams of five players, one of whom is the goalkeeper.  In addition each team may have a number of substitutes.  Unlike some other forms of indoor football, the field is delimited by lines, and not nets or boards that players can use to redirect the ball.  Futsal is played with a #3 or #4 ball, which is slightly heavier and smaller than the #5 ball used in football.