Last month Lockington was one of a number of women’s football representatives from around the Pacific who travelled to Wellington, New Zealand to take part in a three day FIFA Women’s Football Development Seminar.
Lockington says the seminar, attended by FIFA Senior Women’s Football Development Manager Mayi Turner-Kerr Cruz Blanco, was hugely informative.
“Because I have only just come back into Fiji football, it’s going to be where I will start from. That’s where I am going to focus, on that groundwork, and build from there,” she says.
A player since 12 years of age, Lockington says her mother was the coach of the district team, and she took over that role when her mother retired, a role which grew her passion for the game.
“I just love football. I love playing and I want to share that with others. I have two daughters and they’re good players as well, they’re coming up and I want them to have some of the opportunities that I did not have,” she says.
Lockington says she learned a huge amount from all of the attending member association representatives, but highlighted New Zealand as having a women’s football development strategy to aspire to.
“I learned about the actual strategies that they follow and how to go about things in the best possible way, especially to attract girls into football and into the system.
“When the other Pacific countries were presenting their case studies, because I have only just come back into the system, I envied them a bit because I know I can do just as good as them – and I intend to do that.
“I got a lot of ideas, even from the other countries, but from New Zealand I got a lot out of it and I intend to use it when I go back home.”
Women’s football in Fiji is still a growing game and Lockington says there are divisional leagues which she would like to see develop into some form of national competition.
“If we can get support I intend to join the leagues together in some way, perhaps a home-and-away tournament. I would like to see more interaction between the west, the south and the north.”
With New Zealand’s Football Ferns currently ranked 20th in the world, Fiji has a lot of catching up to do over the next few years, but Lockington believes the future is bright for the passionate female footballers of Fiji.
For more on Fiji football go to www.fijifootball.com.fj

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