FESTIVAL OF FOOTBALL TO OPEN KIDS EYES
Cultural exchange high on the agenda
132 children from seven Oceania countries will descend on Govind Park in Ba, Fiji from 20 – 23 July for the inaugural OFC U-12 Festival of Football.
Participating teams from Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, and Vanuatu will contest the four-day Festival. But the event is more than just a football tournament with all teams partaking in cultural exchange activities with local primary schools in Ba and nearby Lautoka and Tavua, in total 36 Fijian primary schools will be involved in the Festival.
With success on the world stage in future years as a focus of OFC, the key to making this a reality lies in the feet of the regions many thousands of young boys and girls and it is the role of OFC to assist its Member Associations to develop these talented youngsters, not only in football but in all aspects of life.
The Festival of Football concept will use football as a learning tool, exposing the youth of the region to useful experiences within the South Pacific, helping them to become more aware of their surroundings and the differences and uniqueness of the region, through a four-day celebration of Oceania culture..
It is therefore no coincidence that the first day of this Festival is dedicated to cultural exchange, where all participants are encouraged to share experiences and learn about each other.
The winner of the OFC U-12 Festival of Football will represent the region at the Danone Nations Cup to be held in Lyon, France in September 2006, not only facilitating the development of these talented children, but also further showcasing Oceania culture to a worldwide audience.
The Danone Nations Cup is the major International Cup for children aged 10 to 12, giving over 2.5 million children the opportunity to take part in an international tournament and to develop their passion for football and skills in the game. The children will experience and share the emotions of an international sporting event, recognized by FIFA and the national federations, and founded on team spirit and the sense of fair play.
Due to the location of the Danone Nations Cup the French Embassy in Fiji are actively supporting the event along with other notable French governmental organizations in the region. The cooperation of these organizations gives Festival participants further knowledge of other cultures and a better understanding of French Territories in the Pacific.
It is anticipated that the OFC U-12 Festival of Football will become a permanent fixture in the Oceania event calendar with the event rotated around the Pacific region in future years. There are also plans to introduce similar events at U-14 and U-16 levels in the future.
The Festival opens with cultural exchanges between the participating teams and local primary schools on Thursday (20 July) with matches commencing at Govind Park, in Ba, Fiji at 10:30am on Friday (21 July), an opening ceremony with cultural performances by all teams will commence at 9:00am on Friday (21 July). Entrance to the Festival is free of charge for all three match days.
OFC U-12 Festival of Football
Govind Park
Ba, Fiji
20 – 23 July 2006
Festival Programme
Thursday 20 July Cultural Day
Friday 21 July Match Day 1
Saturday 22 July Match Day 2
Sunday 23 July Match Day 3
Match Schedule
Group A – SSPOM Torosei (PNG), Vanuatu, United Soccer 1 (NZL), Samoa 1, Fiji 1, Tahiti
Group B – Samoa 2, Besta Kapul (PNG), Fiji 2, Solomon Islands, Fiji 3, Canterbury (NZL)
Match Day 1 – Friday 21 July
Group A
10:30 SSPOM Torosei vs. Vanuatu
11:00 United Soccer 1 vs. Samoa 1
11:30 Fiji 1 vs. Tahiti
14:00 Vanuatu vs. United Soccer 1
14:30 Samoa 1 vs. Fiji 1
15:00 Tahiti vs. SSPOM Torosei
Group B
10:30 Samoa 2 vs. Besta Kapul
11:00 Fiji 2 vs. Solomon Islands
11:30 Fiji 3 vs. Canterbury
14:00 Besta Kapul vs. Fiji 2
14:30 Solomon Islands vs. Fiji 3
15:00 Canterbury vs. Samoa 2
Match Day 2 – Saturday 22 July
Group A
09:15 Samoa 1 vs. SSPOM Torosei
09:45 Fiji 1 vs. United Soccer 1
10:15 Vanuatu vs. Tahiti
11:00 Fiji 1 vs. SSPOM Torosei
11:30 Samoa 1 vs. Vanuatu
12:00 Tahiti vs. United Soccer 1
14:30 Vanuatu vs. Fiji 1
15:00 United Soccer 1 vs. SSPOM Torosei
15:30 Tahiti vs. Samoa 1
Group B
09:15 Solomon Islands vs. Samoa 2
09:45 Fiji 2 vs. Fiji 3
10:15 Besta Kapul vs. Canterbury
11:00 Fiji 3 vs. Samoa 2
11:30 Solomon Islands vs. Besta Kapul
12:00 Canterbury vs. Fiji 2
14:30 Besta Kapul vs. Fiji 3
15:00 Fiji 2 vs. Samoa 2
15:30 Canterbury vs. Solomon Islands
Match Day 3 – Sunday 23 July
09:45 Playoffs – 5A vs. 6B and 5B vs. 6A
10:15 Playoffs – 1A vs. 2B and 1B vs. 2A
10:45 Playoffs – 3A vs. 4B and 3B vs. 4A
14:00 Playoffs – Match for 11th Place and Match for 9th Place
14:30 Playoffs – Match for 7th Place and Match for 5th Place
15:00 Playoffs – Match for 3rd Place
16:00 Final – Match for 1st Place