Hawai‘i to Host 2018 Pacific Rim Futsal Cup

Courtesy image.

For the first time ever, Hawai‘i will host the Pacific Rim Futsal Cup from Nov. 29 to Dec. 2, 2018. The tournament will be held at the Hawai‘i Convention Center and is expected to draw nearly 50 teams.

Similar to soccer, Futsal is played with teams of 10 to 12 participants on indoor basketball-sized courts using a low-bounce ball. Futsal has more than 12 million competitors across 100 countries worldwide, and U.S. Futsal has governed the sport at the youth and adult levels in the U.S. since 1981.

The Pacific Rim Futsal Cup will be held at the Hawai‘i Convention Center’s indoor athletic courts for the next four years under a recently signed agreement with U.S. Futsal.

“We are developing the sport of futsal throughout the Pacific Rim, and Hawai‘i’s central geographic location allows us to easily appeal to a wide variety of countries,” said Alexander Para, president and CEO of U.S. Futsal. “Great soccer superstars such as Pele, Zico and Socrates credit futsal with developing their skills, and we are excited to welcome both new and experienced players to this dynamic and fast-paced tournament.”

A detailed tournament schedule will be viewable at www.PacificRimFutsalCup.com in the coming week, and the public is invited to attend on a free, walk-in basis. Parking is available at the Hawai‘i Convention Center for $10 per vehicle entry. Nearly 50 teams are expected to compete from the U.S., Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Australia and other countries throughout the Pacific Rim. Local teams representing all the major Hawaiian Islands will be attending.

“We are pleased to welcome this premier futsal tournament to Hawai‘i and look forward to growing the event’s international participation and recognition over the next four years,” said Teri Orton, general manager, Hawai’i Convention Center, managed by AEG Facilities. “Our versatile athletic courts provide the ideal venue to attract an indoor sporting event of this size to Hawai‘i.”

The tournament will use the center’s nearly 89,000 square-foot Exhibit Hall 1, offering five courts for simultaneous play. With around 800 attendees expected, statewide spending for the event is estimated at $3.8 million, with tax revenue of more than $366,000.

The Pacific Rim Futsal Cup was started by the Futsal Governing Bodies of Australia and the U.S. in 1987 to promote and develop the game in the Pacific Rim.