The Ascent Corporate 5-A-Side Indoor Soccer Cup 2013 kicks off today at the STM Hall of Scholastica School’s Uttara campus, organisers confirmed at a press conference on Thursday.
The tournament will feature 48 teams from different corporate houses in 16 groups, which were drawn randomly at the press conference in presence of team captains and sponsors. Farhan Quddus, head of tournament organiser Excalibur Entertainment, said that ten seeded teams, designated based on success in past editions of the tournament, were assigned to groups ahead of the draw.
The seeded teams include defending champions Beximco Pharmaceuticals, who are 5-time winners of the event, and IIDFC, the victors from two years ago.
‘We’re very proud to be associated with this tournament,’ said Ascent Group managing director Madiha Murshed, noting that Ascent Group had been the tournament’s title sponsor and host for the past six years.
‘I hope everyone will remember what this tournament is really about,’ she added, ‘For us, it’s about setting an example to our colleagues and to the country about the kind of companies that we are. I hope we will continue to see, as we have in the past, good sportsmanship, integrity and love for the game.’
‘We’re very excited about the games,’ said Sonia Bashir Kabir, CEO of co-sponsors Dell Bangladesh,
adding that the tournament helped provide a sense of ‘work-life balance’.
The tournament final is scheduled for August 31. There will also be a friendly match featuring CEOs, directors and company heads.
The matches will be live-streamed online by the tournament’s internet partner, Qubee.
New Age is the tournament’s media partner.
-With New Age input
