Fiji marksman Osea Vakatalesau has been ruled out of the OFC Futsal Championship Fiji 2009 through injury and has been replaced by 18-year-old Christopher Kumar.

The championship, involving Fiji, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu gets underway on Monday next week at the Vodafone Arena in Suva and culminates in a final and 3rd/4th place playoff on Friday.

DAV College student Kumar who mends the striker’s position, got the call up from Fiji Futsal management after Vakatalesau injured his knee while playing for Ba in last weekend’s National League fixture.

Vakatalesau, who also scored in the game, was one of the big names in the Fijian Futsal squad and was expected to pair up with last year’s OFC golden boot winner Kamal Hassan in next week’s championship.

Fiji FUTSAL executive Jainendra Sukhu said Vakatalesau’s injury was untimely but is confident the team will still do well without him.

“Osea was one of the key players in the squad with a lot of international exposure but the injury has ruled him out as his knee is badly hurt and he needs time to recover.”

“We have included Christopher Kumar from DAV College Ba as a cover for him and have other good strikers in the squad also to fill in for Vakatalesau.”

“Christopher was very impressive in the western Futsal tournament and was thus selected by coach Imtiaz Khan in the 25 member team and he also made the 15 member squad but was dropped from the final 12.”

“He has a lot of potential but needs exposure and by featuring in a regional tournament like this, he will gain a lot of experience and confidence” Sukhu said.

Kumar recently featured for the victorious West 2 U-18 team at the Fiji FACT where he awed fans with his dazzling skills and blistering pace.

With support from the City of Greater Bendigo and Football Central Victoria, FFV delivered the School Futsal Championships last week to more than 600 students from primary and secondary schools from across Victoria.

The annual tournament continues to grow after 73 teams battled it out for Victorian School crown with St Albans Secondary College and St Albans Catholic Regional College grapping the title in the boys categories and St Monica’s College, Haileybury College and Alphington Grammar School clinching the titles in the girls categories.

The introduction of a primary age category into this year’s championships was well received with Strathfieldsaye Primary, a local school from Bendigo, thrilling the crowd with some close encounters to eventually end up Champions by winning 9-2 in the final.

Several State Futsal coaches were present during the 4 day event scouting for potential players to lead Victoria in the 2010 National Futsal Championships.

Summary of final results:

Primary Boys

Strathfieldsaye Primary School 9-2 Pakenham Consolidated School

Junior Boys

St Albans Secondary College 9-0 Isik College

Junior Girls

Alphington Grammar School 3-2 St Monica’s College

Intermediate Boys

St Albans Catholic Regional College 9-5 Ilim College

Intermediate Girls

St Monica’s College 2-0 Mentone Girls Secondary College

Senior Boys

St Albans Secondary College 5-4 Caroline Springs College

Senior Girls

Haileybury College 2-1 St Monica’s College

Capital Football extends an invitation to new and continuing Futsal Premier League (FPL) club teams to apply for the upcoming 2009 FPL.

Following the inaugural 2008 FPL, Capital Football has reviewed the League structure and increased the maximum number of teams in both mens and womens competitions from 8 to 10. The introduction of an underpinning Youth Premier League is another exciting addition to the league this year, offering talented youth players (under 19 -born 1990 and younger) further opportunity to compete in an elite playing environment.

Due to the early release of this year’s FPL information and registration pack, it is expected that teams meet each of the criteria set by Capital Football. In particular, teams participating in the 2009 FPL are required to build upon the steps made last season in developing Club structure and affiliation to Capital Football.

A stronger emphasis in this year’s criteria is therefore focused on the continued development of futsal within established football clubs in Canberra. Capital Football also recognises the importance of the establishment of new futsal entities and clubs. As such additional support will be provided to parties interested in formalising an affiliate Capital Football member Futsal Club.

Capital Football also takes this opportunity to welcome Joma as an official FPL partner for 2009. We thank Joma for their support of the League and encourage Clubs to visit their catalogue online at www.joma.com.au

Information and Application Pack available here (PDF)

Can you imagine being invited to represent Australia twice, but having to decline the invitations because of financial constraints and high school commitments?

Hayden Lobegeier was invited to tour the United States in 2008, and selected again this year for a Tour of Excellence to Brazil in October in the Australian under-17 team.

“It costs more than $6000 and you don’t get a lot of time to raise it by the cut-off date, so I couldn’t go,” Hayden said.

“I’ve got Year 12 to do this year and the tour is right near the end, so I really couldn’t go anyway.”

Hayden is hopeful it might be third time lucky for him next year.

“I’m taking a year off from school next year before I start uni,” Hayden said.

“I’d like to think I’m a possibility but it all depends on if I make the Queensland country side again, if I play well and if I get picked.”

He was advised of his selection after more than a month’s wait after he and four other Bundaberg players represented Queensland Country in the national championships.

Josh Oates, Aaron Miller and Hayden have been members of the team for three consecutive years, while Brenton Morrison and Sam Meyer have been in the team for two years.

Hayden said he thought his mates played well enough for selection in the Australian squad.

“Josh, Aaron, Brenton and Sam are all really good players and could have been picked too,” he said.

“Hopefully, a couple of us might get picked next year.”

Eliminated from the national championships, the team then contested the National Club Championships and defeated a New South Wales state side and a New Zealand international team to take out the title.

“New Zealand actually beat us the first time we played them,” Queensland Country under-17 coach Darrel Oates said.

“We had to turn that around and beat them twice on the day to win the championship.”

Hayden’s mother and manager of the team for three years Fiona Lobegeier credited Oates with an improvement in the team.

“Darrel’s done a wonderful job since he took over as the coach,” she said.

Meanwhile the Futsal champions are involved in field soccer during the winter season.

Sam Meyer plays for Diggers while the other boys play for Across The Waves.