On Monday 9 July, nine carefully selected students travelled to the Gold Coast to represent Curtin University in the 2023 Nationals Futsal Championships.
The competition was held over four days at the Gold Coast Sport and Leisure Centre and the Carrara Indoor Stadium in Queensland.
The Curtin University Carnabys team included:
- Mouhanad Akle, Science and Engineering
- Lloyd Allen, Humanities
- Fortune Aniyi, Health Science
- Beau Haynes, Science and Engineering
- Bevis Lau, Humanities
- Josiah Liew, Health Science
- Justin Pearce, Health Science
- James Toth, Business and Law
- Ron Yip, Health Science
The team headed to the East Coast ready to defend the gold medal they won in last year’s Nationals Futsal Championships.
Day 1, 10 July
In the Carnabys’ first game of the four-day competition, they dominated 10 – 2 against Queensland University of Technology (QUT).
To celebrate the win and enjoy some downtime, the Carnabys had a team dinner in Surfers Paradise.
Day 2, 11 July
On the second day of the competition, the Carnabys won by seven points in a 9 – 2 match against Swinburne University of Technology (SUT). Also in the same pool was Southern Cross University (SCU) – a game which resulted in a draw.
Finishing at the top position of Pool A, the Carnabys were through to the Quarter Finals for Division 1.
The trip was further enriched by a team bonding session of canoeing along Southport beach. The squad also enjoyed a dinner with the men’s and women’s teams from Edith Cowan University (ECU).
Day 3, 12 July – Quarter Finals
Now in the Quarter Finals, the Carnabys just had one match on the third day after topping Pool A with two wins and a draw. The game was against the Australian College of Physical Education and the Carnabys were victorious with a 4 – 0 win.
The men’s squad enjoyed a revitalising swim in the Pacific Ocean and then spent the rest of the day at their leisure before the big games on Thursday.
Day 4, 13 July – Finals
On the last day of the 2023 National Futsal Championships, the Carnabys played against QUT in the Division 1 Semi Final. The score was 3 – 1 in favour of the Carnabys.
Now playing for the gold medal, the Carnabys versed the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) in the Finals round.
In an exhilarating final match, UTS scored two points early in the game. With a couple minutes to spare, the Carnabys scored a point. Unfortunately, the Carnabys were one short, and the final score was 2 – 1, in favour of UTS.
It was a commendable performance from the Carnabys who still brought home a silver medal and placed second overall in the Men’s Final Rankings for Division 1. A fantastic effort from the Curtin Carnabys who consistently proved they are a force to be reckoned with.
Go Carnabys!
