GEORGE TOWN: THE Milo Hidup Bola Futsal Carnival made its way to Penang recently.
Touted as the largest annual futsal competition in the country, the tournament consists 14 legs and a grand final, offering a total cash prize money of RM155,600, as well as medals, trophies, Milo and Figos goodies.
The tournament has a competition at every state in the country while the grand final will be held at Sports Planet Ampang on June 22.
This year, the organisers introduced a talent scouting system where 24 top performers players from the top eight teams will be selected during the grand final.
Those selected will be sent to a football training camp to further evaluate their abilities before a final eight will be selected to attend an international training camp, probably in Thailand.
Nestle Products Dairy Business unit sports marketing executive Lim Kerwin said in conjunction with the Penang leg of the carnival, a coaching clinic was conducted for children under 10 years.
He said the clinic was also aimed at providing parents of these children an opportunity to learn more about how to get their kids on the right track in terms of sports skills and nutrition.
Some 36 kids and their parents participated in the coaching clinic at the Safira Sports Planet Futsal courts in Seberang Jaya, Penang.
The clinic was conducted by Mohd Arif Hamidi Sayuti, who holds an AFC FAM Level 1 futsal coaching license.
Lim said Milo has always been a staunch believer in the power of sports and that's why Milo have facilitated youth sports in sport through various initiatives including Milo Hidup Bola.
"Whether it is their first time learning to kick a ball or a seasoned player, participating in sports is not just a great way for them to get strong and healthy, but is also a great way to teach them values that will always be useful to them," said Lim.
Lim said the Milo Hidup Bola coaching clinic provides an ideal starting point into futsal or football by teaching the basics of the game to parents, enabling them to engage with their children in sport.
He said kicking, dribbling, shooting, goalkeeping, shielding and ball control are just some of the fun physical skills the coaches shared before the kids got to kick a futsal ball around.
The kids and their parents also learnt the basics of the sport and the importance of proper nutrition, which are both equally important in ensuring the best performance on the pitch.