NEW CALEDONIA WELCOMES OFC PRESIDENT AND VISION
New Caledonia – the 205th and newest member of FIFA’s football family – welcomed Oceania Football Confederation President Mr. Reynald Temarii to Noumea this week.
New Caledonia was the last stop on a series of trips by the President around the Pacific region to understand better the unique ways in which each national association operates.
The trip also gave Mr. Temarii a chance to outline the OFC 12-year development plan to the Football Federation of New Caledonia and various other interested parties, and continued discussions about the development of the FIFA Goal Project.
The key elements of the OFC development plan include education and youth development, capacity building, health, economic development, and community development.
While in Noumea Mr. Temarii met with the President of New Caledonia, the Honorable Marie-Noelle Themereau, where they discussed the possibility of a regional cooperation agreement to enhance the development of football in the region.
Both OFC and the New Caledonian Government share the view that youth development can be enhanced through sport, in particular football.
Further synergies were explored with the Noumea-based South Pacific Council (SPC). SPC Director General Lourdes Pangelinan was informed of the OFC vision, and welcomed the possibility to establish a cooperation agreement between the organizations in the areas of youth and women’s development in the Oceania region.
In conjunction with FIFA officials, Mr. Temarii also met with representatives from the Southern Province and the city of Paita, where plans for the FIFA Goal Project continue to be developed.