THE prestigious PSC International Soccer 7’s tournament will be held at the Penang Sports Club on April 12 and 13.
This year marks the 24th edition of the tournament, attracting a record 70 teams with over 60% from overseas while the rest are from all over Malaysia.
From its humble beginning in 2000 with an initial participation of 12 teams, the PSC International Soccer 7’s tournament has grown tremendously to become the premier international veteran soccer tournament in the country and the Asian region.
Among the foreign teams who have confirmed participation are from Australia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Maldives and Brunei. Apart from that, there will also be a strong Malaysian participation with teams coming all the way from Kedah in the North to Johor in the South as well as Sabah from East Malaysia.
All in all, about 1,000 participants are expected to throng the PSC field over this weekend, promoting soccer and tourism for the state.
The tournament will be played under three categories, namely the Veterans category, the Masters category and the Grandmasters category. The Veterans’ category is restricted to three players between the ages of 35 and 40, while the rest must be above 40 years old. The Masters’ category is restricted to three players between the ages of 45 and 50 years, and the rest above 50 years. The Grandmasters category is restricted to three players between the ages of 55 and 60 years, and the rest are above 60 years
PSC expressed its gratitude to its main sponsors, such as Penang State Sports Council/Sports Exco, Penang Tourism and Creative Economy (Petace), Bukit Bendera MP Syerleena Abdul Rashid and RGB International.
As in previous years, most of the participating teams will be parading many ex-internationals and ex-state players in their line-up. For soccer enthusiasts, this will be a perfect opportunity to catch a glimpse of yesteryear’s international stars from Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore, Maldives, Australia, Vietnam, Hong Kong and China.
Pix courtesy of Penang Sports Club