Maldives to face India and Pakistan in first-ever SAFF Futsal Championship

The Maldives will face India and Pakistan in their opening matches of the inaugural SAFF Futsal Championship, set to be held in Thailand next January.

The tournament will kick off on January 12th with the women's division matches. The championship will be played in a league format, with three matches scheduled for each playing day.

The tournament will be inaugurated with the women's division match between the Maldives and India.

The men's division will begin on January 14th. Maldives' First Match: The Maldives Men's team will first compete against Pakistan. Other Opening Matches, Jan 14, Sri Lanka vs. Bhutan; India vs. Bangladesh.

The Women's division will begin on January 13th. Other Opening Matches, Jan 13, Pakistan vs. Bhutan; Sri Lanka vs. Nepal.

·         January 13: vs. India

·         January 15: vs. Nepal

·         January 17: vs. Pakistan

·         January 21: vs. Bhutan

·         January 23: vs. Sri Lanka

·         January 25: vs. Bangladesh

·         January 14: vs. Pakistan

·         January 16: vs. Bangladesh

·         January 20: vs. India

·         January 22: vs. Nepal

·         January 24: vs. Bhutan

·         January 26: vs. Bangladesh

This question was raised by media outlets in the region as the tournament is being held outside the South Asian zone. SAFF General Secretary Purushottam Kattel explained the reasoning:

Puruthosham Kattel stated that South Asia lacks adequate facilities for both Futsal and Beach Soccer. "In these areas (Futsal and Beach Soccer), South Asia is lagging behind other regions," he said.

"We have also observed a scarcity of officials operating in Futsal within this region compared to other regions, so it is crucial for us to start developing Futsal in our region."