Footballers in Ifira, Vanuatu will have the opportunity to train like professionals when their new FIFA standard football field is complete on the island.
It will be music to the ears of the many footballers who have endured years of sloppy fields and bumpy pitches on the island, and a welcome addition to the football mad city. Work on upgrading the project is expected to kick off by the end of the year.
The Ifira Field Upgrading Project is the first of its kind in rural Vanuatu and has been made possible through funding from the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) with assistance from the Shefa Football Association (SFA).
The Project was formalised on October 23, 2008 when the Ifira Community Council and the project contractor signed a ‘Conditions of Contract’ agreement.
Kalpovi Mangawai signed as the representative of the Ifira Community Council and Ifira Trustees Limited and Alex Palavi from the Dinh Trading Limited as the Project’s contractor.
The signing ceremony took place at the Ifira Trustees boardroom and was witnessed by representatives from Shefa province, SFA, Dinh Trading, VFF, Ifira community and OFC’s Administrator to VFF Yvon Avry.
Mr. Mangawai acknowledged OFC and FIFA on behalf of the Chief and people of Ifira for bringing such projects to the community, and said that it would be a great help in building up young people’s involvement in sports especially football.
“I would like to thank OFC and FIFA through SFA to recognise the need to upgrade our field and for choosing us as the first community to receive such assistance,” he said.
Ernest Kaloris, Assistant Secretary General to Shefa Province has described the signing ceremony as a signpost in the development of football facilities in the Shefa Province.
“On behalf of the Shefa Provincial Government I congratulate OFC for recognising the importance of equipping our young people with such sporting facilities that I believe will also help reduce social problems in the community,” he said.
The SFA President Ioane Simon also voiced similar gratitude towards OFC’s assistance to his football family, which he believes can take football to another level in Shefa province.
Avry congratulated the people of Ifira and Shefa province as a whole for the achievement reached through the project.
“I congratulate you all for this achievement and I want to encourage young people to make use of the facility in order to promote young people’s participation in the game of football in Shefa and Vanuatu as a whole,” he said.
Picture Caption: An exchange of documents after the signing ceremony this week between Mr. Mangawai and Mr. Palavi witnessed by members of other concerned bodies of Shefa province.