UniSport Media Release
For release: Thursday 13 July
University of Technology Sydney (UTS) have ‘bled teal’ on the courts to claim two Div 1 Champion titles at the 2023 UniSport Nationals Futsal Championships. For the first time, the sport was contested as a standalone event at state-of-the-art multipurpose facilities on the Gold Coast, Queensland.
Twenty-four teams hailing from 18 different universities from across Australia took part in the championships, which offered both men’s (Div 1 and Div 2) and women’s (Div 1) competitions. Not only were national titles on the line, but the opportunity to represent their university and country at the 2024 FISU World University Futsal Championships was an enticing drawcard for participants.
UniSport Australia Chief Executive Officer, Mark Sinderberry congratulated all participating teams on their performance and passion playing for their respective universities.
UniSport Nationals is an excellent opportunity for students to further connect with their universities and meet other students from around the country. “We hope every athlete is proud of their performances, had the opportunity to make new connections and most importantly, enjoyed themselves throughout the experience,” Sinderberry added.
With competition management support from Football Queensland, more than 80 matches were contested across the four-day competition. Curtin University (men) and UTS (women) set out to retain their titles secured last September, facing some eager rivals in the process to do so. Both defending champions cruised through their preliminary pool matches and secured close victories in the semi-finals to progress to their respective gold medal matches.
The UTS women sustained their momentum against local opponents, Queensland University of Technology, holding onto the lead for most of the match and ending as 3-1 victors to secure the back-to-back national title. Student-athlete, Ella Gattorna was crucial in UTS’s campaign, noted as the tournament’s top goal scorer, finding the back of the net 14 times in their eight matches.
Curtin University’s quest for back-to-back trophies ended in the final match of the tournament with UTS’s men’s side winning the tussle for the gold medal (2-1), gifting the teal and black outfit a dual victory for their efforts throughout the tournament.
Two divisions were contested in the men’s competition. The University of Tasmania were ultimately crowned Div 2 champions following a tight preliminary pool stage, where a three-way battle for the top spot saw them finish in third due to their goal tally. They sustained a tough loss against Australian College of Physical Education in their repechage match, which would have seen them return to the Div 1 bracket. Despite the loss, they posted some dominant results in the Div 2 playoffs, which will see them return to the Apple Isle with some extra luggage in the form of gold medals.
Across the men’s competitions, Deakin University’s William Smith was awarded the leading scorer with 11 goals to his name. The full match results of the tournament can be viewed here.
The finals were streamed on UniSport’s dedicated streaming platform, UniSportTV. Supporters were able to tune in live and free to catch the thrilling moments of the finals, which can now be revisited on demand.
UniSport extends its congratulations to all student-athletes and appreciation to Football Queensland, strategic partners Major Events Gold Coast and Tourism and Events Queensland, and the myriad of event volunteers for their support in delivering a successful competition.
The UniSport Nationals continue with Snow from 3-7 September at Thredbo, NSW.
About UniSport
UniSport Australia (UniSport) is the peak body for university sport in Australia. 43 universities are members of UniSport, representing a population of over one million students. UniSport’s ambition is to become an integral partner to Australian universities and to deliver an outstanding student experience at our national intervarsity competitions.
More information on UniSport: www.unisport.com.au
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