Egyptian authorities go after futsal fields
The Egyptian government decided to remove all futsal fields squatting agricultural lands, which raised the ire of the youths whose main outlet is sports.
CAIRO — The Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture decided Nov. 26 to remove public futsal fields squatting private agricultural lands. The decision sparked widespread controversy as parliamentary and youth demands were raised to suspend it.
Futsal is a variant of soccer played with a smaller ball and field and five players per team.
The ministry's spokesman, Hamed Abdel-Dayem, explained in televised statements Dec. 2 that these fields “represent an encroachment on agricultural lands,” noting that the “lands are being used for purposes other than those for which they are designated, which is agriculture.”
The decision comes as part of a campaign launched by the Egyptian government to remove encroachments on private agricultural lands stretching over 85,000 feddans (88,216 acres) in all governorates. The Ministry of Agriculture counted 2,400 futsal fields across the various governorates. By Nov. 30, it had removed 240 fields in Qena, Upper Egypt, alone.
