The Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF) has assisted the Kwai Beach Games with beach soccer equipment today at the Allen Boso complex in Honiara.
Receiving the gears from SIFF Technical Director was Malaita Provincial Assembly member for Malaita’s Ward 16 and Minister for Women, Youths, and Sports Preston Billy together with the chair of Local Organising Committee (LOC), David Mafane and LOC member Uriel Robeni.
Technical Director Moses Toata said the support is part of a long-term partnership with Kwai which is identified as one of the centres around the country.
“We hope that his support will be fully utilized as Kwai is one of the identified centers for our development plan,” he said.
“SIFF is happy to assist your event and believe it will be a success.”
Mafane, Kwai Beach Games Chairman assured SIFF they will put good use of the assistance.
“On behalf of the LOC I want to thank SIFF for this timely support which will help us organize the beach soccer tournament with a higher standard,” he said.
“Recently Kwai produced few players for our national team and we believe there are still some good players out there.”
It is anticipated that the Beach Games will attract hundreds of people in the east Malaita region or even people in different regions of Malaita and will be a Beach Soccer-driven Beach Games, the LOC said.
“The L.O.C together with the Malaita provincial government through MPA Billy has taken this immense initiative to develop the community youths, and talented footballers using the Beach soccer code, as its impact is still felt on the island following the success of five local boys who got selected into the National Beach Soccer team ‘Bilikiki’.
“The boys were selected after their win in the 2016 Solomon Games Beach Soccer Championship – representing Malaita province.
“They went on to represent the Solomon Islands in the Oceania Beach Soccer World Cup qualifier in Tahiti in June and three of them also participated in the recent 2019 World Beach Games in Doha, Qatar,” said the LOC.
The gears are 40 match balls, markers, bibs, a full set of official wears and goal posts with nets.
Kwai Island in east Malaita Constituency is set to host the inaugural Beach Games from 10th – 20th December 2019.
A three-man delegation from SIFF will also assist and observed the Beach Soccer tournament.
