JACOB Robson won’t let a severely sprained ankle prevent him from jetting off to Brazil with the Australian under-15 futsal team next week.
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The 19-day tour will see the team take in some of Brazil’s best attractions including Copacabana Beach and they will also attend a Brazilian football match.
The Brazilian Centre of Excellence tour will end with two nights in Rio which will be the rest and recreation section of the tour.
It will include a visit to the one of the biggest stadiums in Brazil that was built for the 1950 World Cup, Christ On The Hill, Sugarloaf Mountain and Ipanema.
Selection in national teams runs in the family after older sister Bre’arna made the Australian under-17 side which travelled to the United Kingdom.
15-year-old Jacob has been playing futsal for a little over five years after his friends made a team following their success in outdoor football competitions.
He was selected in the Australian team after the national school titles in Queensland last September and admitted to being surprised at making the final cut.
“I didn’t play as well as I thought I could play at the titles,” he said.
“I’ve been close to being selected in the team for the last couple of years, but never made it.”
His utility value will benefit the side as he can play anywhere on the field, but he drew the line at playing goalkeeper.
“I can play anywhere except there,” he said.
Three other St Columba Anglican School students will complete the local quartet in the team although Robson said they wouldn’t all train together until they arrived in Brazil.
He was looking forward to the experience, but admitted to being nervous about travelling out of the country by himself.
His previous trip out of Australia was to Bali in January this year.
The year nine student also has ambitions of playing for the Newcastle Jets in the Hyundai A-League.
“They’re my favourite team because they’re the closest,” he said.