While there may be consensus in the sporting fraternity that carbo loading is key before competition, the 32-year-old prefers a cup of tea.
“I never really eat much before a game, I just like drinking tea,” says Hale, living up to the laid back Solomon Islands style.
Born in Honiara, Hale has played football all his life and was drawn to beach soccer when the call came to assemble a national team for the inaugural OFC Beach Soccer Championship in Tahiti in 2006.
He quickly cemented his place in the side and has gone on to become one of the best beach players the country has ever produced. Most tellingly, he started all 12 of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup matches that the Solomon Islands Bilikiki team played in across four campaigns.
But Hale is not finished yet.
“I think I have another three world cups left in me,” says the father of four, who works as a taxi driver in Honiara.
“And if we win here this week then we must work hard to get through the group stages at the next FIFA tournament. That’s our goal.”
Hale says he enjoys the fast-paced nature of beach soccer compared to 11-a-side. But he has also had success in the more traditional form of the game, representing the Solomon Islands at the South Pacific Games in 2007 and playing across the Pacific at clubs like Hekari United in Papua New Guinea and Fiji’s Navua.
He says he would also love to play in Australia. But for now his focus is well and truly on retaining the OFC Beach Soccer Championship crown.
“We have come here to win, and we are better prepared for this tournament than any other Oceania qualifier.”
Now there is just the final preparation ahead of the Solomon Islands opening match against Fiji tomorrow. And for Hale that means one more thing left to do – relax and have a cup of tea.