SOLOMON Islands Football Federation (SIFF) is the first federation in the Pacific to receive a sporting grant through Australia’s PacificAus Sports Program. Under the grant, Australia will equip all 10 teams in the SolRais Women’s Premier League with training and playing gear such as shin pads, balls, goal nets, boots and socks.
Sporting teams need to be supported off the field as well. The grant will provide laptops, a projector and a screen to help teams participate in online training sessions, allowing both players and coaches to expand their skills.
SIFF Executive Committee Member, Jimmy Keveseka said “receiving the equipment worth SBD210, 000 from Australia on behalf of SIFF is an exciting moment for our federation.”
“This assistance will be a huge boost for our women’s football teams.”
Mr Keveseka also expressed his gratitude and thanked the Australian Government for supporting Football in Solomon Islands.
Womens’ representative Rosa Paia said “We the women would like to make a very special acknowledgement and appreciation to the Australian High Commissioner on behalf of Australian Government, SIFF and SWPL Board for supporting football progressively as we witnessed in this occasion today.”
Paia also highlighted that sport is about respect, integrity, teamwork, good health, being a good player and a good responsible citizen.
Australian High Commissioner Dr Lachlan Strahan said “The Australian Government is proud to support football in Solomon Islands by equipping the women’s teams with the equipment they need to play football at a high level.”
“In the past, men dominated organised sport. But those times are rightly long gone. Australia is committed to making sure that women and girls get an equal chance to excel and become champions. Australia will continue to support sport and in Solomon Islands, for women and men, in the lead-up to the Pacific Games in 2023 with the aim of winning as many gold medals as possible,” High Commissioner Strahan said.
Dr Strahan thanked SolRais, an Australian company, for funding the Women’s Premier League. He said Australia would continue to work with the Solomon Islands Government to create healthier communities through sport.
The PacificAus Sports program is driving ambitious sports partnerships between Australia and the Pacific in high-performance sport. It is a flagship initiative of Sports Diplomacy 2030 and Australia’s Pacific Step-Up. It gives priority to activities that seek to develop pathways for Pacific teams to play in high-level Australian sporting competitions, support Australian teams to increase their presence and participation in the Pacific and create pathways for emerging Pacific athletes to benefit from high performance coaching and training.
Source: Australian High Commission Press Statement
