OFC News

OFC TO TURN FOCUS TO WOMEN'S FOOTBALL

With increasing opportunities available for the regions top female football players the representatives from the member nations of the Oceania Football Confederation recently met in Rarotonga, Cook Islands for a FIFA organized seminar on women's football in the region.

OFC has secured direct entry for the FIFA Women's World Cup, Olympic Football Tournament, FIFA Women's Under 19 World Championships, and soon-to-be introduced FIFA Women's Under 17 World Championships.

With many women's development programmes still in their infancy around the Pacific the delegates from American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Tonga, Vanuatu, OFC and FIFA unanimously agreed to promote women's football according to a jointly agreed declaration.

The key points to emerge from the three-day workshop included the confederation establishing an OFC Women's Football Committee and management department operating out of the secretariat in Auckland. In addition, ten FIFA/ OFC Women's Football Coaching Courses with be conducted in every national association and a marketing plan to encourage and foster women's participation in football will be developed.

Each member nation has also agreed their own individual requirements based on their current situation, but all agreed to ensure women's representation on their Executive Committee and in each of their standing committees, to set up a women's football committee, and nominate a person to coordinate and lead the development process.

In terms of competitions and structure, it was agreed to promote mixed football for children (up to 12 years) to challenge cultural barriers and ensure good technical physical development principles. It is also essential that positive female role models are readily accessible and visible.

Each member nation recorded their own commitment to the task and set their own objectives for women's football.

The women's seminar is set to become an annual event to ensure continued progress in women's football development, the seminar is set to be held in Samoa next year during the OFC Women's Under 19 Qualifying Tournament.