In the middle of the Maidan lies the Calcutta Parsee Club (CPC), whose rich sporting culture has run through the city’s veins for more than a century since its establishment in 1908. The CPC’s 5-a-side Football Championship is one of Kolkata’s biggest tournaments, featuring outstation teams, professional players and renowned names in Indian football. More recently, a 3-a-side version has come up in the city, thanks once again to the CPC, which hosted the latest edition of its 3-a-side Futsal Championships between January 17 and 21.
A 3v3 match features small goalposts, no goalkeepers and a D that players cannot enter
Being an ardent participant in CPC’s 5-a-side tournaments, I eventually found myself playing for CPC a few years ago. Every year, between March and August, we would play on the 5-a-side field until the same space would be transformed into a tennis court for the winter season. In the winter of 2015, with a lack of football turfs around and no 5-a-side field to play on, a few of us decided to take our football skills to the basketball court, which is also built on natural soil. We started experimenting with 3v3 and 4v4 formats and quickly realised that this was brewing into something unique. The number of players increased each evening and an unexpected format surfaced out of the dense winter air. A 3v3 match features small goalposts, no goalkeepers and a D that players cannot enter. Every kick-in can result directly in a goal, meaning the game is played at a rapid pace.
When asked about the birth of the concept, CPC’s vice president, sports, Jahan Mehta, said: “We innovated with different rules and formats, and 3-a-side is immense fun. It involves a lot of skill and strategy. All our friends started joining in and eventually the idea of hosting a tournament came up.”
The 2019 edition saw women’s teams along with the introduction of a Silver Plate
Women’s teams were incorporated into 3-a-side football by the CPC in 2019 Sourav Nandy
In December 2015, with 10 participating teams sporting quirky names and embracing the fun, fast-paced side of football, the first edition of the 3-a-side Futsal Championships was a success. Amigos, a team from Bangladesh who often come across for the 5-a-side championships, made an appearance as well. However, they were edged to the cup by my team, The Quartet, in the final. Only after playing many high-intensity matches did I realise how physically exhausting and mentally consuming 3v3 could be. It definitely elevated all of our footballing abilities.
With more teams warming up to the winter format and taking things more seriously in 2017, the second edition saw the hosts CPC emerging victorious on home soil. The 2019 edition was a special one as it marked the first 3-a-side Women’s Championships with six teams participating and the Outlaws Women’s Team taking the trophy home. The tournament’s popularity grew to such an extent that it warranted the introduction of the Silver Plate in order to allow more teams a shot at some form of silverware. After a four-year break due to the pandemic, the 3-a-side tournaments returned this year — bigger, better and more competitive than ever. With 16 men’s teams and 10 women’s teams lining up, it is safe to say that the 3-a-side concept has been well-received by players across Kolkata.
Thrilling action over five days in the winter chill
Kaizeen Confectioner (left) and Rhea Rao, joint winners of the the MVP award Liam Bain
Played over a span of five action-packed days, the 2023 chapter of the tournament saw The Outlaws Women’s Team (divided into 8 sub-teams) pull off a clean sweep of the silverware, securing the Women’s Main Plate (The OG Outlaws) and Silver Plate (Outlaws Avengers) along with runners-up trophies in both categories.
“Recovering from a knee injury in 2019, I was gutted when I missed this tournament but you can overcome anything if you love it enough, and football has always been my first love. It was special to win as a coach but nothing beats being on the field. I’m really proud of my team’s performance in a format which is relatively new but so enjoyable to play! We owe it to ourselves to be the best we can be,” said Rhea Rao, player-coach of the Outlaws Women’s Team. Rao won the Main Plate as well as the Golden Boot and shared the Most Valuable Player Award with OG Outlaws teammate Kaizeen Confectioner. Their mainstay in defence, Ridhi Rames, picked up the Best Defender award.
Both the men’s finals in 2023 went down to the wire and were settled on penalties Sourav Nandy
The men’s finals were thrillers decided on penalties. Lion & Cubs won the men’s Main Plate defeating RCFC while The Naughty Boys pipped Royal SC to bag the men’s Silver Plate. Nathan Simone (MVP), Duane Andrews (Golden Boot) and Brandon Murray (Best Defender) were among the individual award winners.
The tournament was a crowd-puller and saw scores of people flock to watch the games over a cup of hot chocolate during the chilly winter evenings. With fancy footwork, intricate passing, deft touches, tactical defending, lightning counter-attacks, fearless blocking and cool finishing, the 3-a-side format leaves you wanting more. With plans for it to be an annual event, this is just the start!
Liam Bain is an amateur footballer and commentator who won the 2015 and 2019 editions of the CPC 3-a-side Futsal Championships, claiming the Golden Boot and Most Valuable Player Awards on both occasions.
