TURF WARS

Sports Planet East Coast

1018 East Coast Service Road
To book, call 93266635
Weekdays (9am to 6pm): $50 per hour
(special rate: $40 with 1-for-1);
Weekdays (6pm onwards),
weekends and public holidays:
$90 per hour (special rate: $80)

Barely two months old, Sports Planet is the latest kid on the block.

Five football-loving friends had a dream to open a bigger and better place than those they had been playing at.

After six months of research and sourcing around, coupled with a "substantial sum of money", Sports Planet, with its four futsal pitches, was born.

When asked what differentiates it from its competitors, Mr Lenny Lim, Director of Ubersports, the company behind Sports Planet, said: "It has to be the location."

"We're more family-oriented. The wives and kids can go blading or cycling while the guys play futsal. They can do things as a family on the weekends, and food is also available nearby."

There are plans to open a food and beverage outlet. Football matches may also be screened on weekends.

Verdict: Playing futsal is definitely not a stuffy affair, with the constant sea breeze blowing towards the courts. Having eye candy blading, tanning or playing volleyball at the beach helps too. But there are no shower facilities yet, so be prepared to go home hot and sticky until the showers are up in a few months' time.

Fico Sports Hub

2 Jurong West St 25 S648325
To book, visit www.ficosport.com
Weekdays (8am to 6pm): $60 per hour (special rate: $48)
Weekdays (6pm onwards), weekends and public holidays: $100 per hour (special rate: $80)

Situated in the far end of western Singapore, Fico Sports Hub is a sports haven.

On top of the eight futsal pitches here, there are also four beach volleyball courts, a beach football court and three water football courts. There are also plans to build dirt-bike tracks, paintball facilities and a football field in the near future.

But why choose futsal as Fico's core business?
Mr Gary Lau, Director of Fico Sports Hub, explained: "When you're in a business, you've got to have a core. So as a sports hub, the core has to be the most popular sport!"

Since Fico opened its doors this year, it has been popular with companies and organisations which have booked the place for their cohesion activities.

Revealed Mr Lau: "We even had 4 SIR booking the courts for a game of futsal before out-processing their batch of NSFs for their ORD!"

Verdict: Variety sets Fico apart from the rest. Furthermore, with eight pitches, there should be no worries about not getting a court. The only grouse would be its location too far in the west and not very near any MRT station.

The Cage

38 Jalan Benaan Kapal S399635
Booking hotline: 63449345
www.thecage.com.sg
Open 24 hours daily
Weekdays (8am to 6pm):
$50 per hour
Weekdays (6pm to 8am), weekends and public holidays: $90 per hour

Started by three buddies "who wanted to be footballers" (which is also the name of their company), The Cage was set up in 2005. The facility is made up of four indoor futsal courts housed in defunct warehouses.

Find eight to 10 men and you can have a good game of five-a-side futsal on a synthetic pitch at any time of the day, even if you crave for a game in the wee hours of the morning.

Mr Rajesh Mulani, The Cage's director, said: "We're recreational footballers and we know it s hard to get 22 men for a proper game. So the Cage is the place for a good workout, where there's fun and laughter. Nothing too serious."

Not only can customers have fun playing futsal with their buddies, they can also enjoy their favourite English Premier League matches on a giant screen at The Cage on weekends.

Verdict: The availability of only one shower in each court is a slight dampener. And it might get a wee bit stuffy after playing for a while. But a great spot to hold unit cohesion activities, birthdays and get-togethers.

The 1.2.3s of futsal

1. Futsal is a game of five-a-side football played on a flat, smooth and non-abrasive surface. Each game is made up of 20-minute halves.
2. Although football is a popular game in Brazil, futsal is also widely played in the country of the beautiful game.
3. Great players like Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Kaka honed their excellent ball control and dribbling skills playing futsal.