By Hambali Jojo
Beach soccer is indeed a great spectator sport that is fun and has given scores of people a chance to have their first kick of a ball. The game is predominantly played on the beach, and it is even more exciting to watch as people get sucked into the whole beach culture it presents.
Beach soccer maven Ali Mwebe ensures the right measurements are followed before construction of a beach soccer pitch.
Photo credit to Hambali Jojo : Beach Soccer arena in Njeru Municipal council, Buikwe district
Constructing pitches on the main land for the sand-bound version of the beautiful game is, however, a rapidly growing industry, and it is increasingly becoming a common practice for areas and countries without natural, serene beaches.
Landlocked countries like Switzerland, Paraguay, and Belarus have embraced the sport with upland arenas, and they have repeatedly featured at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.
Aerial view of the FUFA technical center beach soccer arena in Njeru, Uganda
One East African nation, Uganda, has also become a master of this trade. The water levels of Lake Victoria shot up continuously starting in 2017, inundating its shores, including the beaches where the game had found haven. But because of the unmatched first-rate leadership at UBSA and FUFA, the landlocked country beat its dire straits to find a regular spot at the table of men in Africa. Uganda is by miles the best beach soccer-playing nation in the CECAFA region, fifth in Africa, and 34th in the whole world—without a beach facility, though.
Uganda is the best beach soccer-playing nation in the CECAFA region.
The FUFA technical center beach soccer arena was constructed in 2019 and has since served as the training and home base for the country’s national team, the Sand Cranes. The arena also hosts league matches for both men and women.
More than one acre of land was acquired by Bulisa town council in 2021, and a beach soccer facility was established at Kisansya primary school. Efforts are in place to construct one more at St. Lawrence University in Kampala and another at St. Mary’s Rushoroza in Kabale before this year ends.
UBSA, FUFA, and government officials during the ground-breaking function of the Kisansya beach soccer facility in Buliisa
Primary and secondary schools, tertiary institutions, and various Universities around the country are also putting up beach soccer pitches at their premises, giving the game a strong base at the grass-roots level.
But getting the venues right is paramount for a sport aspiring for global popularity, and here are five steps to constructing an artificial beach soccer pitch.
1: Identify a suitable location and define your beach soccer pitch area, including the play zone and at least a two-meter off-pitch boundary around the play zone. Remember, the pitch size depends on your available space, even though the regulation size measures between 35 and 37 meters and 26 and 28 meters.
UBSA chairman Deo Mutabazi (middle) took the lead at a ground-breaking event in Bulisa.
2. Remove the top soil of the defined area; most builders aspire to create a level surface with the sub-base of the pitch area generally tilted for drainage purposes. This is essential in the event of rain. Beach Soccer World Wide (BSWW) recommends the use of perforated polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes covered with permeable fabric inside gravel-covered ducts and covered again with another layer of permeable fabric. As all these activities take place, the best quality of sand to be used should be onsite. To build a beach soccer facility in the middle of a street, square, or open space (‘Ekibangirizi’), you need about 800 tons of sand, not just any sand and certainly not the type used in general construction. Grains must be between 0.2mm and 0.3mm in diameter and are generally sourced from beaches, desert dunes, or lake shores. If this is not possible, a near-perfect fit can be sourced.
Super-quality sand was used in the construction of the beach soccer arena at FTC.
3: After the top soil is removed, sub-drain perforated pipes are installed on the slope, sieved sand that is free of pebbles is delivered, and a sand pitch is then laid to a depth of at least 40 centimeters. A wood or brick retention box should be installed to prevent sand loss, and a mesh fence should be installed to prevent animals from fouling the pitch.
4: Pitch equipment and accessories The goal post (52.2 meters) can be locally fabricated; otherwise, a standard one can be ordered from BSWW equipment partners. Pitch boundary lines are blue geo-textile materials, so you can use a blue fireman’s water hose. A roll and a half would just be perfect for your standard pitch. Although the corner flags are special PVC flag poles mounted on flexible rubber bases that are buried in the soil to allow free pole swings, a traditional hollow PVC round pipe of about 1.2 meters in height could just be stuck into the soil with your red and yellow fabric flags at the tip.
5: Get the balls, invite your friends, and let the game begin!