Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) President Reynald Temarii and FIFA Ambassador in Oceania Christian Karembeu have arrived in New Caledonia on a diplomatic mission that could see OFC relocate to the French Territory by 2011.
Temarii and Karembeu are currently touring New Caledonia as part of the groundbreaking ceremony celebrations of the first phase of the Goal Project for the New Caledonian Football Federation that will take place on Friday 9th March in Paita.
The FIFA Goal Project will provide the New Caledonia Football Federation with an academy and technical centre but it has reached a new dimension with the advent of the “Win in Oceania with Oceania 2007-2010” programme as it encompasses the construction of a regional technical centre that will help the confederation better service its member associations.
The proposal to move the OFC Headquarters from Auckland to New Caledonia is still in its preliminary phase but it is hoped that meetings held with various branches of the local government and the French State to guarantee OFC the maintenance of the same advantages it currently enjoys in New Zealand will bear fruit.
This OFC delegation of Reynald Temarii, Christian Karembeu, the President of the Caledonian Football Federation (CFF) Mr Claude Fournier, the OFC Deputy General Secretary, Mr Frederic Guillemont and the OFC PA Noelline Parker met the President of the Government of New Caledonia, Ms Marie NoÃf«lle Themereau at her headquarters in Noumea in a bid to finalise in principle agreements.
One such agreement could involve the local Department of Customs and Tax allowing exemptions in return for the OFC’s continued support for the development of football in New Caledonia and through programmes such as the Goal Project that will be implemented either in terms of finance, technical or human support.
Any move to the French Territory is also viewed as the ideal way to secure and tighten up the relationship between New Caledonia & French Polynesia though football.
The OFC President and his delegation also met the President of the South Province, Mr Philippe Gomes, its Vice president Mr Philippe Michel and the Mayor of Paita Mr Harold Martin, local politicians of the area OFC hopes to move its operations too.
OFC President Reynald Temarii said the impact of the proposed move of the OFC headquarters from New Zealand to New Caledonia in terms of economic, social and international development and the opportunity for the French Territory – and the possibility of hosting a FIFA event – were huge incentives for the government to ratify the proposal.