Inside the PK Futsal Academy training camp in Malaysia

PK Futsal Academy, the only Maldivian academy of the sport, is currently hosting a ten-day training camp in Malaysia.

PK Futsal Academy had travelled with 24 youngsters to Malaysia on Friday.

The training camp consists of two age groups – U16 and U23. The practice sessions are conducted under the guidance of futsal legends Ahmed Visaal and Abdhullah Naseer. Naseer is also the Maldives national futsal team’s head coach, with Visaal as his assistant.

The PK players are taught by a team of coaches from Malaysia. The coaches, from the club One United, also train the Malaysian national team.

PK Academy says the training sessions are conducted twice daily, with one in the morning and one in the evening. Additionally, practice matches are also played within the camp. PK Academy has now played one match and won it.

In spite of its plan to strategically develop futsal players, the academy highlights the difficulty in securing sponsorships and other funds for such initiatives – the ongoing training camp is funded by the parents of the academy players.

The academy was established last July with just fifteen players, but the membership has now grown to over fifty. Despite the struggle, PK Academy aims to sustain the love for the game among the youth.

Being the one and only futsal academy in the Maldives, PK is also paving the way for other clubs to create futsal academies in the future.