Record 11 Teams to Compete for Two Spots in 2013 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Tahiti

MIAMI (Friday, April 19, 2013) – The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) is pleased to announce that the draw for the 2013 CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship will take place at the Atlantis Paradise Island Hotel in Nassau, Bahamas, on Tuesday, April 23, at 1 PM EST.

CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb will preside over the draw procedure, to be performed by Confederation General Secretary Enrique Sanz and observed by Director of Competitions Horace Reid. President Webb is honored to also join Bahamian Football Association President Anton Sealey and General Secretary Frederick Lunn for the event.

The 2013 CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship will be celebrated in Nassau, May 8 – 12, marking the first time the regional championship has been played in the Caribbean.

This year’s tournament will be the largest in Confederation beach soccer history, featuring all eight squads from the 2011 Championship in addition to three debutant sides, making for eleven total teams from across the CONCACAF region. That number marks an all-time high in terms of participation in the competition, and nearly doubles the number of competing teams from the opening edition of the championship six years ago.

“The widespread interest in this tournament provides confirmation of the growth of beach soccer throughout the Confederation, contributing to the strengthening of our sport across disciplines,” said President Webb. “It pleases me to note that the CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship is set to be held for the first time in the Caribbean, an area where the sport continues to makes great strides.”

Nations competing for the chance to represent CONCACAF in this year’s FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Papeete, Tahiti, include host nation the Bahamas and 2011 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup semifinalist El Salvador, as well as defending CONCACAF champion Mexico. Rounding out the field are debutants Guyana, Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago, along with returnees Canada, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Jamaica, and the United States.

Media wishing to be present at the draw and/or the competition may apply for accreditation through tournament organizer Beach Soccer Worldwide, by emailing [email protected] or by visiting http://www.beachsoccer.com/press.

ABOUT CONCACAF

CONCACAF “The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football” is one of six continental confederations of FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) and serves as the governing body of football in this part of the world. It is composed of 40 national associations, from Canada in the north to Guyana, Surinam and French Guyana in the south.

ABOUT BEACH SOCCER WORLDWIDE

Beach Soccer Worldwide (BSWW) is recognized by FIFA as the major entity behind the creation and growth of Beach Soccer. Since its foundation, in 1992, Beach Soccer Worldwide has organized more than 250 international events in more than 50 countries all over the world, and involving up to 110 National teams from all the continents. In 2005, beach soccer became part of the FIFA family, and the first FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup was held that same year in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).

Follow CONCACAF on its official Twitter account: @CONCACAF