(Photo: Supplied)

Today (8 August) is Safe Sport Day, where in conjunction with the Safe Sport International initiative, OFC reaffirms its commitment to keeping everyone, especially children, safe in sport.

And when it comes to making sure our sport is a safe place for everyone, ‘everyone has a part to play’, says OFC’s recently appointed Safeguarding and Wellbeing Manager, Palu Uhatahi Tu’amoheloa.

“Safeguarding deals with so many factors, including how to prevent abuse, the actions to be taken and how to report if abuse has happened,” she said.

Safe Sport Day is a great opportunity to celebrate the progress that has been made throughout the OFC region, with safeguarding being a particular focus for football in Oceania Football and its member associations over the past few years. With the FIFA Women’s World Cup being co-hosted in the OFC region last year, there has been a lot of emphasis put on ensuring appropriate safeguarding measures are in play.

OFC pledged in 2021 to commit to improving safeguarding in the Oceania region, and this work has been a key part of the World Cup legacy work. There are channels available for everyone associated with the game to be able to report concerns. Work done to ensure that safeguarding practices are integrated into all aspects of football includes:

  • An e-learning module for OFC Coaching
  • Safeguarding workshops during elite and pre-elite refereeing courses
  • Awareness-raising materials created for member associations
  • OFC competition regulations updated to require Team Safeguarding Welfare Officers (TSWOs)
  • Member Associations are supported to develop safeguarding policies

 

Safeguarding really is everyone’s responsibility. If you see something, say something.

If you have a safeguarding concern, please email [email protected]

 

Resources