KUALA LUMPUR: Sixteen teams will battle for honours in the RSC International Masters Soccer 7s at the Royal Selangor Club in Bukit Kiara this weekend.
The two-day football competition will run concurrently with the RSC Under-12 International 7s.
Organising committee chairman V. Kanagarajah Vadivelu said the tournament is one of the best organised football events in the country.
“The success of this competition over the years has been due to the support from the corporate sector. This year, we have changed the format and also limited the number of teams,” said Kanagarajah today.
The masters category (above 40) will comprise 16 teams divided into four groups with the top from each advancing to the ‘Cup’ competition. The bottom two teams in each group will play in the ‘Plate’ competition.
The teams are then placed into two groups in both competitions with the first and second-placed teams making it to the semi-finals.
The grand masters category (above 50), has attracted 12 teams while the under-12 event has 16 clubs
Among the teams in the tournament are Penang Sports Club, Kilat, Bangkok Airways, Maldives Soccer Mates, Samba and Polyvets Singapore.
“Fans who turn up during the competition will be able to meet former greats," Kanagarajah added.
RSC will be represented by two teams in the junior tournament. Australian side Swan Districts return once again while the other two foreign clubs — International Soccer Academy and Sembawang Youth FA — are from Singapore. Among the other teams are CIMB YFA, Little League, Bintang Biru Penang and Harimau Mega FC.
RSC is among the pioneer clubs to have initiated a youth programme in Malaysia. Among those they have produced are Pahang's R. Kogileswaran, Kuala Lumpur President’s Cup player Daniel Ong, and former Young Tigers recruits Nicolas Wee, Damien Lim and Davidson Tan.