Massey Albany's futsal team looking to stay on top

Massey University’s Albany futsal team is looking to stay on top as they head back to Australia to defend their title at the Eastern University Games at Tamworth in New South Wales.

The team won the futsal crown in 2011, with Lee Robinson recognised as the top goal scorer of the tournament.

Now, with the support of Massey University and the Albany Students’ Association, they are eager to keep their futsal success flowing, and have been at ‘boot camp’ training intensively for the past two weeks.

“Most of the players on the team have been together for about three years now, so we’ve got the team vibe sorted,” says player-manager Salam Arif.

“We’d like to say a massive thank you to Massey University and Steve Maharey in particular for their financial assistance. We also want to thank the Albany Students’ Association for their financial contribution, and for always being there when we need them,” he says.

Although they are the current champions, Mr Arif says he’s not sure what to expect with this year’s competition. “We’ll just get there, play our best, and hopefully get the right results.”

The Eastern University Games is the largest of the three regional university games held simultaneously across Australia, and is expected to attract over 2,200 participants across 16 sports.  The Games will run from July 1–5.

Picture caption: The Massey University futsal team representing New Zealand at the Eastern University Games, from left: Salam Arif, Lee Robinson, Daniel Pang, Giancarlo Penzo, Aayush Gyawali (Captain) and Chaiyo Clark. Absent: Danny Gardiner.