Courtesy: Solomon Islands Football Federation Media


Futsal boys receive scholarships to Oz

SOLOMON Islands Futsal is taking a giant leap with youth players awarded scholarships to study and play in Australia.
Teenagers Elliot Lilo Ragomo and Jack Whetney have been selected on merit as the first recipients of the scholarship.
They left early Friday morning for Sydney where they will be attending William Clarke College for a year.
The Dural Sport and Leisure Centre in Sydney is paying for their tuition fees.
It is understood that the boys will play in the New South Wales Futsal competition and may have the opportunity to tour Europe in 2006.
Lilo and Whetney were members of the successful Solomon Islands youth team that won the top prize in their age category for two consecutive years in Canberra.
Local Futsal coordinator Eddie Omokirio is upbeat about the break saying that he is confident the two boys will be a role model for other aspiring young Solomon Islanders.
He gave credit to Dural Sport and Leisure Centre for the vision saying that the partnership will be further strengthened with the view for many more such exchanges in the future.
Omokirio admitted that that they found it difficult to pick the two players but eventually they managed to confirm them following consultation with coaches and members of the Solomon Islands Sports Coalition executive.
"We considered their skill level, behaviour, attitude and generally their adaptability when deciding the final two," he added.
It is understood this programme will continue into the future with many more kids having a chance to go to Australia under this arrangement.




Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com