Photo Credit: OFC Media via Phototek
Futsal has long been a popular and much-loved sport in Solomon Islands. The men’s team have been a source of great success, both in Oceania and on the world stage, qualifying for four consecutive FIFA Futsal World Cups.
The women’s game is still in the embryonic stage, with this year’s OFC Futsal Women’s Nations Cup being the first of its kind.
It follows a period of sustained sporting focus on the country, with Honiara having hosted the Pacific Games in 2023 and the OFC Women’s Champions League also being held in the city earlier this year.
Whilst women’s futsal is taking early but important steps on the path to achieving the same level of popularity as the men’s game, there is still much work to do.
A legend of the game in Solomon Islands, Jerry Sam has recently made the move to Fiji, to head up their Futsal and Beach Soccer Development programme. He also took the reins of Fiji’s side at the OFC Futsal Women’s Nations Cup – reaching the final – and is keen to stress that the future of women’s futsal in the Pacific must be treated as a long-term commitment.
“I think in terms of driving futsal more, across Solomon Islands, you need to have these elite programmes and we need to have competitions for players, so that the kids that come through this development, they can be a part of it.
“By giving the opportunities to these kids, we can really inspire them to either stick with futsal or football,” Sam said.
“In the future I want to see us invest in and focus more on women’s futsal. We have the facilities now, there’s no excuses but we need to look beyond,” he continued.
It’s a sentiment that is shared by Solomon Islands Futsal Federation (SFF) Futsal Development Officer, Dickson Kadau. With the men’s game on strong footing, the Federation are keen to pivot towards improving the opportunities available for aspiring women’s players.
“I think the development of futsal here in the Solomon Islands is looking good for women and it’s something that we really want to focus on.
“It will take time for some of the decisions we make to help in the way that it did for men’s futsal, but the Federation is now taking the development of the women’s game very seriously. In 2025, we’re hoping to have a futsal women’s Super League and that’s a big focus for the Federation.
“We’re also helping to develop futsal programmes in schools. We have programmes in place from U-10s all the way up to U-16s now. It’s all about developing long-term platforms for women’s futsal.”
One of those starring on the court for the host nation this month was Ileen Pegi. The AS Academy Féminine player was her side’s top scorer as they finished in fourth place, narrowly losing the Playoff for 3rd place to Tahiti 4-3, in one of the games of the tournament.
Whilst enjoying the opportunity to once again represent her country, Pegi admits there are challenges on the horizon for the game’s future.
“For men’s futsal it’s popular, so it’s important for the development side of futsal that we involve a lot of girls and women who are interested,” Pegi said.
Despite her impressive showing, Pegi is an 11-a-side player by trade, one of many across the tournament, who have made the transition and it’s a challenge that the diminutive forward is keen to acknowledge.
“It’s a bit difficult! There’s different codes between football and futsal but we’re learning a bit and switching around and hopefully we’ll get there!”
Whilst being able to call on talented players such as Sofi Diyalowai, Unaisi Tuberi (both Fiji), Taama Faletau (Tonga) and Pegi, has been a convenience for coaches, it serves as a means to highlight the lack of futsal-specific talent available across the region.
The development and growth of the women’s game requires domestic pathways through which to provide a platform for those players keen to pursue futsal.
It’s a challenge that OFC and its Member Associations are working hard on and are keen to use this month’s inaugural tournament as a way to boost progress.
Paul Toohey, OFC’s Head of Football Development, has highlighted this need for domestic competitions as a key pillar of women’s futsal development in Oceania.
“The most important thing in having this competition is to inspire current and future players, as well as coaches, referees and fans. The important priority for Member Associations (MAs) is to develop their competitions and to increase access to coach education.
“Most of our MAs currently have very limited competitions in terms of duration and number of matches. With the increase in demand for futsal, it will be great to see more tournaments and leagues.
“OFC has an important role to play in supporting our MAs through the OFC development programme, which enables MAs to plan and receive funding in order to conduct futsal activities for both men and women,” Toohey explained.
Whilst there is still much work to be done in developing women’s futsal in Oceania, there is evident passion and commitment from everyone involved, meaning that as successful as the OFC Futsal Women’s Nations Cup was, it is just the first step in a journey that is sure to leave a lasting impression on the women’s game for years to come.