It will be fun in the sun for spectators at Tahiti Nui Beach Soccer Championship 2009 in Moorea this week but for FIFA Assistant Development Officer Patrick Jacquemet it will be a busy time of in-depth analysis and planning.
Jacquemet, who is charged with developing Beach Soccer in Oceania, will assess the technical abilities of Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tahiti and Vanuatu at Temae Beach from 27 – 31 July as they battle to become Oceania Football Confederation’s (OFC) representative at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup UAE 2009.
The former professional goalkeeper says this week’s championship will be an opportunity to assess the skill levels of the region’s top teams and highlight areas where they can still improve.
“I will be leading the technical study group and also meeting with coaches and technical directors to plan FIFA/OFC Beach Soccer courses,” said Jacquemet, who played over 300 games for Valence in France before moving to Tahiti to play for Venus in 1992.
Jacquemet says he is looking forward to seeing how the teams have developed and believes the championship will be a competitive one.
After the completion of the event, Jacquemet will then work with the winning team as they get ready to compete at the FIFA tournament in Dubai between 16 – 22 November.
“My objective is to ensure the qualifier has good preparations before the World Cup including international matches so that they are ready to compete with the world’s best,” he said.
“The Solomon Islands have put in credible performances at the last three FIFA tournaments with not a lot of preparation each time. So with a better build up this year I think the Oceania qualifier – no matter which team it is – will have a good chance of reaching the quarter-final stage.”
With continued support over time, Jacquemet believes Oceania has the potential to become a world force in Beach Soccer, pointing to the wide accessibility of beaches and year-round tropical climate as unique factors that could contribute to the steady rise of the game in this part of the world.
That aside, all eyes will now turn to Tahiti Nui Beach Soccer 2009 which kicks off on Monday. The competition follows a round robin format based on a league system before a final and 3rd/4th place playoff is held on Friday.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Priscilla Duncan
Oceania Football Confederation
Media & Communications
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Joel Tiller
Oceania Football Confederation
Media & Communications
T: +649 526 5654
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M:+64 (0)21 994 520