For Thailand's Futsal flagship, the Chonburi Blue Waves, a compulsory task lies ahead with a qualifying tournament to the AFC Club Championship 2013

Since the introduction of the AFC Futsal Club Championship in 2010, so to say the Asian Champions League for Futsal, the competition is steadily gaining popularity. This forced the AFC to introduce a preliminary round in which a total of 13 clubs are participating this year with representatives from Japan, Uzbekistan and Iran, already waiting in the final round.

After the AFC Futsal Championships for national teams, at which Thailand could finish second, the third official AFC Club Championships are on the schedule starting this weekend in Kuwait city.

Thai champion and cup winner GH Bank-RBAC is to represent Thailand and it will be the clubs second appearance in succession. After only 2 points and an early exit at group stage, last year, RBAC hopes on similar results like the national team could achieve recently. Though looking at RBAC opponents, it shows that it will not come easy to make it to the knock out stages.

Thailand's 5th futsal league season has end and saw GH Bank RBAC successfully retaining the tile and, moreover, winning the double. But the leagues future is in doubt.

The end of the national championship marked the end of a rather chaotically run season. In contrast to the football leagues, it was not about league management, which during last 2 years was in the hands of USM (Universal Sports Management). At first the start had to be postponed several months, because one major sponsor was affected by the earthquake in Japan and thereby money was blocked. Afterwards the flood in Thailand hit two of the main venues and causing several match days to be shifted.

With a three month delay, contingent on the floods in Thailand last year, ASEAN-Zone qualification for the AFC Futsal Championship 2012 are due to kick off this week.

Hosting city for the ASEAN qualifiers this week is Bangkok, which means a home right for the Thais is guaranteed. Even if hardly any foreign fans are expected, nevertheless, this is a good opportunity to rehearse the case of emergency for the Futsal World Championship later this year. The tournament is played in two groups. Thailand is favored to win group A facing relatively easy tasks with Indonesia, the Philippines and Myanmar. In Group B Australia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia are fighting for two places in the semis.

Since a few weeks Thailand national Futsal League is underway. Recently we have met with Utchen Udomdejwatana, the manager of Universal Sports Management, USM, and talking about the new season.

The company, is not only the name giver for the national Futsal league. USM also holds the marketing rights for the competition and at the same time is responsible for organizing the league. Serious changes could bee seen since the Sports Management company become in charge last year. Match days are now stretched over two days on a weekend, league is extended and a national cup competition is introduced. Moreover, for the first time, since this season, matches are not played only in Bangkok. Unsurprisingly right at the beginning of our conversation the name of "Mr. Futsal" Adisak Benjasiriwan was an issue. From Khun Chen we could here that Khun Adisak, despite of his dismissal from the football association by FAT president Worawi Makudi, still acts for Futsal in Thailand in advisory function.