The newly-established FIEFIA – which translates as ‘happy’ – competition features a series of five-a-side matches for children in the U-8, U-10 and U-12 age groups who have participated in the popular Just Play programme throughout the year.
Pau Likiliki, Just Play project manager for the Tonga Football Association, was pleased to see so many youngsters enjoying the day and says it is just the starting point for further activities throughout the month.
“This marks the beginning of our monthly Just Play competition,” he says. “It is not compulsory for every team but is the start of the build up to our Just Play Day on November 24, which is also our monthly tournament grand final day.”
Players from the Fasi-moe-Afi club went through their matches unbeaten to be crowned the first ever FIEFIA U-8 champions while Lapaha also won all their matches in the U-10 category. They survived a strong challenge from Fasi-moe-Afi in the final but were unfortunately denied the chance to lift the trophy due to fielding over-age players.
Vaini held off a much younger but talented Navutoka team to take the honours in the U-12 section.
Developed by the OFC social responsibility and technical departments, Just Play is designed for children aged six to 12 and promotes physical activity while encouraging community involvement, healthy living, gender equality and disability development.
OFC has worked closely with UEFA, the Australian Government – through its agencies the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) – and Football Federation Australia to implement the programme across the Pacific over a three-year period between 2009 and 2012. It was launched in Tonga and is now also running in American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tahiti and Vanuatu.
The confederation has also been working in New Zealand with Special Olympics on a Just Play programme for people with mental disabilities and has launched the same initiative in Samoa and Fiji.
Just Play has reached over 100,000 children – 43 per cent of whom are female – across the Pacific and trained over 2,000 teachers and volunteers.
For more on Tonga football go to www.tongafootball.to

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