Next Sunday the Jamaican-German Society (JGS) will stage its inaugural “Futsal Meisterschaft”, a 5-A-side Football Competition to kick-start its annual Germany Week celebrations.

Organised in association with Gamma Ray Athletics, the one-day competition is expected to attract participants from the diplomatic corps and the business community. It is scheduled to be held at the Football Factory, Jamaica’s first and only artificial Futsal turf facility located at the Shortwood Football Field.

Each participating team will play in a preliminary round; successful teams will advance to the semi-finals with the two top teams contesting the final.

The top teams and outstanding players will receive awards, with the eventual champions copping the most coveted hardware and bragging rights.

Futsal, Futebol de Salão, Fútbol Sala, or hall football, is an exhilarating variant form of football with a smaller pitch, a smaller low bounce ball, unlimited substitutions and no offside rules. This format will be sure to keep spectators on the edge of their seats.

Germany Week 2013 is scheduled to run from September 29 and will climax on Saturday, October 5 with the annual Oktoberfest to be held at the Alhambra Inn.

The week will feature Open House activities such as German films and free introductory German lessons at the Society’s Seymour Avenue headquarters in Kingston.

A German Food Festival will also be held on Tuesday, October 1 at the Hotel Four Seasons.

The JGS is Jamaica’s first friendship society of its kind, having been founded in 1954 as the “Friends of Germany”. Along with its German Language Programme, Oktoberfest ranks as the main cultural event on the Society’s annual calendar of events.