Sheathed in a plastic balloon that covers the entire upper part of the body, the players of the “bubble football” collide, roll and get fired in a game of this circus sport in the capital of Thailand.
The rules of the game are very similar to those of futsal, although, in the kick-off from the center of the field, both teams wait in their goals and shoot out like a pack of marbles to contest the ball.
Last Sunday, sixteen teams made up of Thais and expatriates gathered at the Arena 10 sports complex in bangkok to practice this curious sport, which leaves no spectator indifferent.
This is the first game of this sport in the country, a mixture of the «king sport» and a Japanese television contest where the bubble can be used to attack opponents and displace them.
British, Belgian, Thai, Japanese or American they waited their turn to play while discussing the possible winner of the next soccer world cup in Brazil.
“There are more rugby players than soccer players on my team, it is a strategic advantage that has allowed us to win the first two games”, explained to Efe one of the players, Richard Jackson, for whom a good tackle is worth more than a skillful dribble.
While hostesses offered free drinks and ice cream, attendees witnessed a competition where technique played a secondary role.
«If you can play in Thailand, you can play anywhere,» Jackson said, wiping sweat from his forehead caused by the high temperatures and humidity, especially inside the plastic bubbles.
Some participants had previously practiced contact sports, which accentuated the differences when competing with less experienced players and mixed teams.
«It seemed like a great idea, football and tackling, and a really crazy kit, so I thought why not?»assured one of the burly members of the Ivory Coast team, euphoric after a match in which he had discharged a good dose of adrenaline.
Although the collisions were spectacular, tournament organizers insisted that “Practicing this sport is very safe” as “It is not a contact sport, it is a collision sport”they explained.
‘Bubble football’ is already practiced in Europe and in It isUnited States, where there are more than 17 established leagues, according to Bradley Martin, one of the organizers of the event.
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Source: Metro