SHAH ALAM:  Some 80 football teams from all over Malaysia recently took part in an annual  carnival aimed at encouraging healthy living and to discover young talents.

Organised by Permodalan Negeri Selangor Berhad (PNSB) as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) project, the event titled “Karnival Bolasepak Kemerdekaan Ke-55” drew players aged from below eight to 16.

“The response was overwhelming. We had more teams interested but we couldn’t take on more due to time and space constraints,” said PNSB public relations manager Alina Idris.

Having only eight football fields at Stadium Mini Shah Alam, she said only 16 teams could compete against each other at any one time.

Winners of each game, which lasted 15 minutes,  automatically moved on to the next rounds until the final.  Good players may also get noticed by talent scouts who are usually present at big football events.

PNSB chief executive officer Datuk Ahmad Omar  launched the  carnival.