FUTSAL TO LAUNCH JORDAN’S ASHGABAT CAMPAIGN

 Jordan will aim to upset some of the continent’s big guns when they compete in the Futsal tournament at the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games that get underway in Ashgabat this weekend.

Jordan are one of 18 teams included, and have been drawn in Group D alongside Iran, Kyrgyzstan and Tahiti.

Jordan will meet Kyrgyzstan on Monday and then Iran the following day before concluding against Tahiti on the Thursday.

Only the top two from each group will qualify directly to the quarter-finals.

“The preparations have been very good, in fact, perfect,” said manager, Salah Abu Ja’far.

“We have to be on our game as we have been drawn in a tough group including Iran who will be favourites for the gold medal.

It will be important to perform well against them and to win the other two matches in order to reach the quarter-finals.”

Ja’far will be joined in the training team by Mu’ayad Saleem, Assistant Coach; Mazen Obeid, Goalkeeper Coach; and Physiotherapist Ma’moun Harb.

The playing squad is made up of Ahmad Abu Arab, Tamer Sameeh, Nour Al Khaza’leh, Baha Al Kisswani, Odai Haikal, Suhaib Hudaib, Qais Shbib, Tameem Ghidan, Yousef Ayasrah, Majed Al Hafi, Ahmad Samarah and Samer Ramadan.

Futsal is one of 21 sports included on the Ashgabat 2017 roster with 6000 athletes and officials from 65 delegations from Asia and Oceania taking part. Jordan are taking over 120 athletes who will compete in 13 sports.