History was scripted on the sands of Gujarat as the inaugural edition of the National Beach Soccer Championship was held in January 2023 at the Dumas Beach in Surat.
Beach soccer is a game played barefoot on sand, where both teams field five players each. The matchday squad of each team can have up to 12 players, and rolling substitutions are available. Unlike football or futsal, there are three periods in a beach soccer match, lasting 12 minutes, with an extra three minutes added if the scores are tied. If a winner is not decided in those three minutes, then the game goes to a penalty shootout.
Kerala emerged as the first-ever National Beach Soccer Championship winners, beating Punjab 13-4 in the final. Delhi won 3-1 against Uttarakhand to win bronze.
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