The training workshops were part of the extension of Just Play in Marovo and followed up on the pilot project carried out in the area a year ago.
Just Play instructor Christopher Asipara conducted the training at Seghe in central Marovo and was assisted by Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF) special projects manager Phillip Ohoto’ona and Gabriel Riotarau, the Just Play regional coordinator for Malaita.
Asipara was inspired by the enthusiasm of the participants and admitted they were not the only ones who learned something during the training.
“The enthusiasm of those taking part has made the workshops enjoyable and, at the same time, educational for the participants and myself,” Asipara said.
“There are some valuable insights that were shared here that I have taken on board for future planning.”
According to Ohoto’ona, the successful ending to the training in Marovo summed up a number of small triumphs for Just Play over the course of the workshops.
“The three things that marked the success of the training we conducted were improved programme organisation, improved delivery of training and, most important of all, an increase in the number of people trained,” Ohoto’ona said.
“We wanted to see improvements in all these things when we reviewed Just Play in June and I am happy that we have achieved this quite early.”
The training proved so popular that the sessions were split into a pair of two-day segments to cater for the large number of participants. Both workshops provided the same level of training and opened with an introduction into the Just Play philosophy and the role of football as a social development tool.
Ohoto’ona also took the opportunity to thank the schools and communities that assisted with the training workshops.
“There was a great community spirit and cooperation towards the workshops and the Just Play programme in general in Marovo,” he said. “The presence of so many community volunteers highlights this interest and I can see true ownership being displayed here.”
Jeffery Ngasi, the regional coordinator for Just Play in Marovo, will supervise the implementation of the programme in the region throughout next year.
Developed by the OFC social responsibility and technical departments, Just Play is a FIFA-approved initiative that promotes physical activity for primary-aged children while encouraging community involvement and healthy living. It was launched in Tonga in October 2009 and has since been introduced in Vanuatu, Tahiti, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Auckland, New Zealand.
OFC will continue to work closely with UEFA and the Government of Australia – through its agencies the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) – to roll out the Just Play programme across the Pacific. The Australian Government has shown its support to the project by contributing AU$4million.
The confederation has also been working in New Zealand with Special Olympics (NZ) on a Just Play programme for people with mental disabilities and launched the new initiative in Samoa last month.
For more on Solomon Islands football go to www.siff.com.sb

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