The Papua New Guinea club had expressed their desire to sign Ragomo but he found the possibility of leading his country to the FIFA Futsal World Cup too tempting to resist.
“My decision to stay with Kurukuru is based solely on the fact that I want to help my country qualify for next year’s World Cup,” he says.
“I am honoured by the interest Hekari has shown in me but at this stage I wish to decline the offer. My focus now is for us to qualify for the World Cup, which I think is the biggest stage for a futsal player.”
The OFC Futsal Championship will take place in Fiji during May and the winner will go on to represent Oceania at the FIFA Futsal World Cup Thailand 2012.
The Kurukuru, as the Solomon Islands futsal team is known, have won the last three championships and are aiming to make it four in a row this year to book their spot in Thailand.
Ragomo is determined to be a key part of that campaign but has not ruled out taking up Hekari’s offer eventually, once his obligations to the Kurukuru are completed.
“I am interested in playing for Hekari and I hope I can join them later when I am available,” he says.
Ragomo’s decision has been hailed by Kurukuru team manager Mapuru Tausinga.
“The country will be happy that Elliot is staying with Kurukuru,” Tausinga says. “I believe this is an important example for all of us. Elliot is putting his country’s goals ahead of himself and this is very unselfish of him.”
The confirmation that Ragomo will stay in Solomon Islands comes at the same time as another Kurukuru player, Lenson Bisili, heads over to Vanuatu to play for Amicale in the 2011 O-League. Bisili will join up with fellow Solomon Islander Jack Wetney, who has been with the club since the beginning of the season.
The Kurukuru team management expect all squad members who are playing overseas to join the team by the start of April.