In the family of lesser-known sports, underwater soccer is a member. “When I tell people that I play underwater football, they often look at me in surprise, and say that they have no idea it existed,” says Henry.
The big question is how the local diving team began playing underwater soccer. Henry, who is the team’s captain, explains, “One of our teammates had seen it once and we immediately thought it would be a lot of fun.”
Underwater soccer is quite different from regular soccer. For example, the ball weighs around 12kg. “You can only shoot the ball up to a meter ahead,” says Henry. “Believe me, after five minutes of playing, you are exhausted.
The Dutch championship for underwater soccer has existed for eight years already. Last year, the Eindhoven’s diving team won second prize. The team is now aiming for first. “At the end of this year, we can try again. The winner can organise the match, so hopefully next year we will have a championship in Eindhoven”.
Source: Omroep Brabant
Translator: Shufei He
Editor: Melinda Walraven
