The draw for the 2003 South Pacific Games men’s football tournament was announced this week in Fiji where the Games will be hosted in June.
The eleven entries have been placed in two opposing pools with allocations based on the results at the SP Games in 1995. There was no tournament during the last SP Games in 1999.
Hosts Fiji head a tough looking Pool A and are joined by Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Guam and Kiribati. 1995 SP Games champions, Tahiti, head Pool B and are joined by New Caledonia, Tonga, Federated States of Micronesia and Papua New Guinea.
The South Pacific Games is the biggest sports event in the Pacific Island region (excluding Australia and New Zealand), held every four years, and involves competition in a range of sports. The return of football to the Games programme has been widely welcomed and it is anticipated that it will draw big crowds to the various venues.
FIFA has endorsed the SP Games football tournament and FIFA regulations will be adhered to. The tournament will involve both OFC and non-OFC member national teams.
The 1995 SP Games football tournament saw Tahiti beat the Solomon Islands in the final 2-0. Fiji beat Vanuatu 3-0 for third place.
The draw is as follows (please note match schedule TBC):
Pool A
Fiji
Solomon Islands
Vanuatu
Tuvalu
Guam
Kiribati
Pool B
Tahiti
New Caledonia
Tonga
Federated States of Micronesia
Papua New Guinea