Courtesy: Solomon Star

Futsal team off to Fiji

By ROMULUS HUTA

THE Senior Men's futsal team 'Solomon Kurukuru' left for Fiji yesterday to participate in the Oceania Futsal World Cup qualifying tournament.

The competition kicks off from June 8 to 14.

They will be competing against New Zealand, Fiji, Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, and Tahiti.

The winner will gain automatic entry into the Futsal World Cup to be held in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, this coming October.

Solomon Islands play New Zealand in the tournament opener.

Coach Victor Waiia said they are prepared to take on their opponents.

"We are going for our best and we would take each match seriously as they come."

Solomon Islands will go into this tournament with the youngest senior team ever.

The team’s youngest player is only 18.

Waiia said they have been keeping these boys since the under-12 level and after many years in the sport, they can do it.

There are two players in the team that would boost their performance at the qualifier.

They are Elliott Ragomo and Jack Whetney.

The duo have experience playing in the high profiled European and Australian Futsal leagues.

Waiia said most of their members were from the team that participated in the Australia National Futsal Championship January this year in Canberra.

He said the tournament was used for their preparation.

Last week, they also spent a week of intensive training at the Dural Sports and Leisure Centre in Sydney where they played three warm up matches.


The OFC Championship is held every four years with the winner progressing to the FIFA FUTSAL World Cup.

This year marks the first championship since Australia moved from Ocean to the Asian confederation.

Australia represented Oceania in the last Futsal World Cup.


Fixtures

June 8

5pm: Solomon Islands v. New Zealand
6.30: Tuvalu v. Vanuatu
8pm: Fiji v. New Caledonia

Tahiti – bye

June 9

5pm: New Zealand v. Vanuatu
6.30pm: Solomon Islands v. New Caledonia
8pm: Tuvalu v.Tahiti,

Fiji – bye

June 10:
5pm: Vanuatu v. New Caledonia
6.30: New Zealand v. Tahiti
8pm: Solomon Islands v. Fiji

Tuvalu – bye

June 11
5pm: New Caledonia v. Tahiti
6.30: Vanuatu v. Fiji
8pm: New Zealand v.Tuvalu

Solomon Islands – bye

June 12
5pm: Tahiti v. Fiji
6.30: New Caledonia v.Tuvalu
8pm: Vanuatu v. Solomon Islands

New Zealand – bye

June 13

5pm: Fiji v. Tuvalu
6.30pm: Tahiti v. Solomon Islands
8pm: New Caledonia v. New Zealand

Vanuatu – bye

June 14
5pm: Tuvalu v. Solomon Islands
6.30pm: Fiji v. New Zealand
8pm: Tahiti v. Vanuatu

New Caledonia – bye








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