Big prizes set for Chang Football Sevens

THE CHANG Football Sevens, mingling seven-a-side competition with a fun fair, have begun their second year, a sport and entertainment festival underway in eight provinces.

The concept for the tournament continuing into May is “We Brew Friendship”, a cheer to the beer brewery sponsoring the event. “Chang Beverages is continuing the Chang Football Sevens for the second year, |open to all amateurs age 20 and up,” says Chang International chief executive Edmond |Neo Kim Soon. 

Prizes this year total more than Bt2 million, the highest amount offered in any amateur football competition in Thailand. 

“The finalist teams will also get to play a dream match with English Premier League players such as Emile Heskey,” Soon adds, referring to the striker for Championship club Bolton Wanderers. “And all the |teams qualifying will undergo training with Witthaya ‘Heng’ Laohakul, the national football coach.”

Celebrities including Nattha Veeranuch Thongmee and Mathew Dean and Premier League players Charyl Chappuis, Krokrit Thaweekarn, Mongkol Tossakrai and Sinthaweechai Hathairattanakul will be spending time on the pitch.

At Polo Football Park Stadium on Wireless Road there’ll be a variety of amusing activities. The Chang Football Sevens are unique in their inclusion of a fun fair, complete with the irresistible aromas of food trucks. It will feature a Fifa Online 3 battle and musical performances by Dome Pakorn Lum, Prinya “Way Thaitanium” Intachai, Pharunyoo “Tack” Rojanawuthitham, Wichian “DJ Petjah” Kusolmanomai and Poomjai “DJ Poom” Tangsanga.

The football action is taking place in Chon Buri, Khon Kaen, Buri Ram, Chiang Mai, Ayutthaya, Phuket and Kanchanaburi, as well as Bangkok, with the “Maxifun” final set for the Super Kick stadium on Lat Phrao Soi 80 in the capital, which will also have a post-match party and concert. 

Soon expresses appreciation to the event’s other sponsors, who have supplied, among other items, the pitches being used in the provinces. The winning finalists from each province will be travelling to Bangkok in May with Bt50,000 already in each winner’s pocket and Bt30,000 awarded to the runner-up. 

The grand prize for the winner of the final is Bt1 million, along with medals for all the players and a party at the home stadium of Buriram United. The losing finalist will receive Bt250,000 and the second and third other runners-up Bt150,000 and Bt100,000 respectively.

 

Get your kicks

- The Chang Football Sevens are underway in Chon Buri and qualifying rounds continue into May.

- Find out more from any of the |participating stadiums or “tournament central” at (020) 785 9900, extensions 107 or 108, and from www.ChangFootballSevens.com and www.Facebook.com/ChangWorld.