It’s only eight days to the much anticipated
annual beach soccer tournament, COPA Lagos,
organized by Kinetic Sports and the first Lagos
beach soccer team, Gidi Sharks, have resumed
boot camp.
This is the first time in the tournament that local
talents will be participating at COPA Lagos which
is set to hold from the 8th to the 10th of
December, 2017 at Eko Atlantic City. Every one
of the provisional squad that was selected by
Swiss beach soccer veteran and FIFA Instructor,
Angelo Schirinzi alongside National Beach Soccer
Coach, Adamu Ejo.
The team comprises beach soccer talents from
the different parts of Lagos State who came out
tops at the recently concluded COPA Lagos
Talent Scout 2017. After the Talent Scout, 23
players were provisionally selected.
These players resumed boot camp yesterday, the
30th of November, 2017 and will be trained
intensively by Angelo Schirinzi. Only 15 of them
will make the final hurdle of being official drafted
into the Gidi Sharks team.
The Gidi Sharks will get the opportunity of a
lifetime to play with the likes of the Arsenal
beach soccer team, the Spanish beach soccer
team and the Dutch beach soccer team. Angelo
Schirinzi has never hidden his observation about
beach soccer in Nigeria. In his words: “Nigeria
has potential in football and it can be seen at
every street corner. He and COPA Lagos intends
to make them professional players.
“The Swiss beach soccer veteran and FIFA
Instructor has touched down in Lagos and camp
resumed yesterday, at Baracuda beach. He will
facilitate the Boot Camp with Gidi Sharks for
nine days alongside national team coach of the
Sand Eagles, Adamu Ejo.
The players will be
trained to master techniques of beach soccer to
properly equip them to compete against teams at
an international level. CEO of Kinetic Sports,
Samson Adamu, speaking on Gidi Sharks said:
“The beauty behind the Gidi Sharks is that these
shortlisted players come from all walks of life. It
provides a platform for individuals who play
beach soccer as a past-time or a hobby and
have routine jobs or businesses, to follow their
passion and compete at an international level.
It also gives them a chance to pursue a
professional career in beach soccer. The entire
talent hunt has given us an opportunity to
identify and potentially build a database of beach
soccer specific players which can lead to the
setting up of a viable and competitive beach
soccer league that would eventually lead to
building a strong and resilient national beach
soccer team that would represent the nation in
continental and international competitions.
Every edition of COPA Lagos brings a unique
offering and this year’s tops the excitement, not
only with the regular feature of sport, music,
dance, fashion, fans’ zone and celebrity
entertainment but also, the introduction of a
Female Celebrity Match and the “Lagos-based”
beach soccer team, Gidi Sharks, who will be
playing their first match against Arsenal beach
soccer team. This year’s edition of COPA Lagos
promises to be a more engaging and fun filled
experience for all. COPA Lagos is proudly
sponsored by FCMB, PEPSI and HERO Lager.
