One News Television of Solomon Islands will bring live, the games from the FIFA Futsal World Cup in Brazil.
CEO of One News Television, Ms. Dorothy Wickham said that bringing the games live was part of the OFC Football Project.

According to Ms. Wickham the OFC project involves almost all Pacific television companies in highlighting local sporting events in the international level.

“With proper broadcast to the outside world, people would see how well our children are doing in sports,” says Ms. Dorothy Wickham.

She said that her company is proud to bring the Futsal games to the Solomon Islands with the help of FIFA and OFC.

She stated that there are many advantages in bringing the games live to the whole country.

According to her, it also gives an opportunity for the people of Solomon Islands to see their stars in action at the FIFA Futsal World Cup.

The live coverage of the FIFA games will begin tonight.

Source : Solomon Times Online
By : Joanna Sireheti
Published : 30/9/2008

The Solomon Islands Kurukuru, in less than a day, will be propelled onto the global stage as the Futsal World Cup gets underway.

As excitement and expectation builds in Brazil, many are putting their money on Spain. Pundits say that whoever overcome Spain, winners of the last two events, will definitely walk away with the trophy.

The team posing the biggest threat to Spain is Brazil, although its coach has downplayed its prospects.

“Spain are the team to beat at this World Cup. They are a group that has had everything planned out for years now. They may have changed coach, but they’ve continued their work just as before,” the Brazilian coach Oliveira tells FIFA.com.

“Nowadays, it’s much harder to win a World Cup than four years ago, because every country is investing in Futsal now we’re seeing rapid improvements. That’s something we’ve been aware of and why we deemed it necessary to professionalise our technical committee, build our own training academy and do all the work we’ve done over the last four years. That’s the only way to prepare a team capable of winning the world title, while at the same time paving the way for the next generation.”

The young Kurukuru lads have their work cut out for them, what they need to do is to stay focused and play their natural game. As a young team the boys should soak in as much as they can from this tournament, and show to the rest of the World that, although young, they are a force to be reckoned with.

Source : Solomon Times Online
By : Gina Maka’a
Published : 29/9/2008

If the Solomon Islands futsal team needed any further reminding that they had reached the big time, then it came early on Friday morning.

Four police officer on motorcycles arrived at their hotel to accompany the team bus from Goiania to Brasilia.

They came to give them VIP (Very Important People) treatment on their way to the Brazilian capital for the FIFA Futsal World Cup.

The road through Goiania’s city centre was cleared by the officers, They were constantly buzzing around the bus and blocking other vehicles from hindering the team’s path.

For the humble boys from Honiara – such is their excitement about participating in the World Cup that they would have gladly walked to Brasilia. It was a real thrill to be given such treatment.

On arriving in Brasilia the team checked-in to their hotel. This is also hosting the other teams in their group (Brazil, Cuba, Japan and Russia).

Then they got straight back to work with a light training session at the practice court adjacent to the main stadium, the Nilson Nelson Sports Hall. The venue itself, a dome-like structure, is very impressive and seats over 16,000 people.

The three players nursing injuries, Elliot Ragomo, Jenan Kapu and Junior Kogua were assessed on Sunday by a medical officer.

They were all given the all-clear to play for Kurukuru in their first game against Cuba on Tuesday (Brazil time). Two further training sessions were to take place on Sunday and Monday (Brazil time).

They will give coach Victor Wai’ia a further opportunity to assess the squad and make a final selection of the team.

Cuba finished second in their qualifying tournament (losing to Guatemala on penalties in the final) and will be a tough opponent. All 14 Kurukuru players are proud to represent their country and are determined to raise the profile of Solomon Islands through a strong showing at the World Cup.

Anyone wanting to wish the team well or provide some words of encouragement and inspiration are encouraged to send an email to kurukuru@mail.org.

Source : Solomon Star News
By : James Ruhfus in Brasilia, Brazil
Published : 29/9/2008

Solomon Islands Kurukuru face an anxious wait as three of their star players battle with injury just five days out from the start of the FIFA Futsal World Cup – Brazil 2008. Elliot Ragomo, Jenan Kagu and Junior Kogua received treatment for ankle injuries at Goias Sports Club after injuring themselves in warm-up matches and training.

The loss of a player like Elliot Ragomo would be a hammer-blow for the Solomon Islands who face Cuba in Match 2 of the tournament on 30 September in Brasilia. Goias Sports Club physiotherapist has put Ragomo, Kagu and Kogua through a rigourous pool programme to ensure the three players will be available for selection for the opening match.

“We are taking a cautious approach to the three players at the moment, we do not want to take any unnecessary risks. We’ve taken the three players out of the training environment and will work them through a controlled rehabilitation programme,” a team spokesman said in a brief statement today.

Solomon Islands Kurukuru squad is still training twice a day and will leave Goiania tomorrow for Brasilia where the team will be based.

Solomon Islands will face Cuba, Brazil, Japan and Russia in Group A of the FIFA Futsal World Cup – Brazil 2008.

GROUP A
Tuesday 30 September
Brazil vs. Japan Kick-off: 10h30 (local)
Cuba vs. Solomon Islands Kick-off: 12h30 (local)
Thursday 2 October
Solomon Islands vs. Brazil Kick-off: 10h30 (local)
Russia vs. Cuba Kick-off: 12h30 (local)
Saturday 4 October
Brazil vs. Russia Kick-off: 10h30 (local)
Japan vs. Solomon Islands Kick-off: 12h30 (local)
Monday 6 October
Japan vs. Cuba Kick-off: 10h30 (local)
Russia vs. Solomon Islands Kick-off: 12h30 (local)
Wednesday 8 October
Brazil vs. Cuba Kick-off: 10h30 (local)

For all the latest news from the FIFA Futsal World Cup – Brazil 2008 please visit www.FIFA.com

Source : Oceania Football Confederation
Published : 25/9/2008

The national Futsal team the Kurukuru coach Victor Waiía says team captain Elliot Ragomo knee injury is getting on well.

In his email message to Star Sport on Monday Mr Waiía said his assistant Dickson Kadau is taking care of him at the Hotel Gym.

He said Ragomo should be on the court in two or three day’s time. Ragomo got a late injury in their final warmup match against Goias Futsal Club ahead of the FIFA Futsal Cup in Brazil.

He left the court in the second half with a knee injury. He slipped on a wet patch of the court and landed heavily. His injury raises concern for the team

However Waiía said focus and concentration in the camp venue is progressing as they are getting closer to the tournament days.

Source : Solomon Star
By : Charles Kadamana
Published : 23/9/2008

Solomon Kurukuru played Goias Futsal Club again on Saturday in their final practice game before the Futsal World Cup begins.
The score, 3-4 to Goias, was the same result as the teams’ first match-up last Tuesday, but Kurukuru were an improved outfit and will be going into their opening World Cup match against Cuba on Tuesday September 30 with confidence.

However, there was some cause for concern late in the second half when Solomon Islands captain, Elliot Ragomo left the court with a knee injury after slipping on a wet patch of the court and landing heavily. The full extent of the injury is undetermined, but the team is confident that Ragomo will regain full fitness later this week.

The first half of the match saw Kurukuru play their best Futsal of the tour as they controlled the court and defended with a sound structure that frustrated Goias’ attack. Both sides upped their intensity compared to earlier in the week and the crowd was treated to quality Futsal throughout. No better example of this was Kurukuru’s first goal that featured a passing sequence that began with Francis Lafai passing to Lenson Bisili and then making room for himself in front of goal. Bisili provided the perfect pass and Lafai a classy finish.

Soon after, thanks to some strong defensive pressure that saw the ball camped in Goias’ half, Jack Whetney intercepted a pass and then managed to evade two defenders before his sweet shot found the back of the net. It was the same position that Kurukuru were in a few days previous, but they were made to work harder and play better to achieve the two-goal lead.

Unfortunately for Solomon Islands, just like the earlier game, Goias were able to snatch a late goal. This time it was with only seconds to spare after Kurukuru goalkeeper Junior Lioka accidently touched the ball with his arm outside of his ‘D’ in the process of sliding out to defuse a Goias attack. The resulting penalty was well struck and the half-time score was, again, 2 goals to Kurukuru and 1 to Goias.

After working with the team for two weeks, Technical Advisor Scott Gilligan was pleased with the way the team implemented new concepts in this match, ‘The first half was exceptional,’ he told the players after the game, ‘if you can play that first half every half in the World Cup, you’ll d some damage’.

The young team was unable to match their first half play and the second stanza followed the script of the first game, with Goias scoring three quick unanswered goals and Kurukuru finishing strongly. James Egeta’s late tap-in after he and Whetney cracked open Goias’ defence was followed by numerous chances in a flurry of attack. Once again though, the home side held on desperately and the Solomon boys had to be content with a close loss that could have been a close victory.

‘I was very happy with the first half,’ said Kurukuru coach Vcitor Wai’ia, ‘with the second half, the first five minutes and last five minute were OK, but during the middle ten minutes there was lack of concentration and patience. They switched off a little bit, so that’s something we’ll need to work on. Scott has put in a good defensive structure and the players are adapting to it well, which was the best thing to come out of the game’.

Kurukuru will continue to train at the Goias facility before leaving for Brasilia later in the week for the FIFA Futsal World cup.

Source : Solomon Times Online
Press Release (James Ruhfus, Kurukuru Team, Brazil)
Published : 22/9/2008

Kurukuru Head Coach, Victor Waiía, says their preparation towards the Futsal World Cup is going on well from the various friendly matches.

Speaking to Star Sport from Brazil on Thursday, he said he is working on identifying the right method and combination to use in the competition.

“Although we lost two friendly matches and won only one, this does not mean that we are not preparing well. These matches are mainly to find the right method and combinations to use in the competition,” he said.

They lost their first friendly match to New South Wales 4-3, defeated Sydney club, Maccabi 12-3 and lost to Goias Sport Club in Goiana, Brazil 4-3.

Mr Waiía said they are expecting one more friendly game but that depends entirely on the positive outcome of the arrangement with Goias Esorpte club.

When asked about his comparisons of the teams, Waiia said they are the youngest senior team but reiterated that every team are there to win.

“Well for our youngest side we will do our best against any opponent. We are more focused on finding the method to use against any opponent,” he said.

Our boys are really looking forward for the tournament. They need our moral support.

Source : Solomon Star
By : Charles Kadamana
Published : 19/9/2008

Kurukuru did themselves proud today narrowly losing 3-4 to Goias Futsal Club in Goiana, Brazil. It was their second to last practice match before they kick off the FIFA Futsal World Cup against Cuba on September 30.

According to team management, many positives can be taken out of the performance.

Solomon Islands got off to a perfect start in the opening minute after captain Elliot Ragomo received the ball in the back half of the court and then evaded all defenders before rocketing a shot past the goalkeeper.

It was a superb individual effort and made a statement to the professional Goias squad that the boys from Oceania would be no easy-beats.

Kurukuru continued to take the game up to Goias and established a two-goal lead after Stanley Puriana received the ball close to goal from James Egeta and managed to find room enough to score.

Solomons goalkeeper Junior Lioka was at his best throughout the half, frustrating Goias’ attacking raids with excellent anticipation and willingness to put his body on the line to protect his goal.

Unfortunately for Kukukuru he was unable to stop a close-range shot from Goias late in the half that got the home side back in the game.

The goal eventuated after two Kurukuru players substituted themselves while Goias had possession of the ball and the fresh Solomons boys did not have time to establish their defensive positions.

Coach Victor Wai’ia was pleased with the team’s first half performance, but hopes to see further improvement before the World Cup tournament begins.

A concern for the coach the beginning of the second half when the team began to stray from their game plan,
“The first fifteen minutes of the second half they weren’t playing the way we trained them to play,” said Wai’ia.

“In the last five minutes they were doing it, but we couldn’t equalise.”

One objective was to win the game, the other was to see our training methodology implemented.’

Goias was able to wrestle the advantage away from Kurukuru when it scored two well-worked goals and gained the lead for the first time.

To their credit, the Solomons boys dug deep and were able to equalise through Moffat Sikwa’ai after he latched on to a Ragomo pass.

Goias though hit back soon after and held the lead until the final whistle.

‘It was great for us to play against a professional team and they were very tough, said Ragomo, ‘they moved the well around well and had a lot of patience. For us we needed extra strength to hold our lead when we got it. We were a bit tired also after our long trip and all the training that we’ve been doing. They were the toughest team we’ve ever played I think. We will learned a lot from the mistakes we made today and we just need the confidence to keep on going to the final whistle.’

Kurukuru were originally scheduled to play Goias again on Saturday but they will instead play another local professional side on Sunday morning.

Source : Oceania Football Confederation
Photos : James Ruhfus
Published : 17/9/2008

Solomon Kurukuru has arrived safely in Brazil for the FIFA Futsal World Cup after a marathon journey from Sydney that began on Thursday evening two weeks ago and continued until late Saturday night.

The team first flew fourteen hours to Dubai before waiting a further four hours in transit and then continuing on to Sao Paulo, Brazil, which took a further fourteen hours. Another plane trip, this time for only two hours, from Sao Paulo to Brasilia was next before boarding a bus for four hours to reach the town of Goiania. The team exited the bus bleary-eyed but excited to finally reach their destination.

Kurukuru will be guests of the Goias Esporte Clube for the next two weeks, using their facilities and playing a number of practice matches against local Brazilian Futsal teams.

‘We’re excited to be here,’ said Coach Victor Wai’ia, ‘for the next couple of days the boys can rest and get used to the different food and the time difference. We are close to twelve hours behind the time in Honiara so we need to get our body clocks aligned to Brazil. The climate here seems to be the same as home though, so that’s an advantage.’

The World Cup tournament begins on September 30 in Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro. All of Kurukuru’s games will be in Brasilia.

Source : Solomon Times Online
Published : 15/9/2008

The Solomon Kurukuru trounced local Sydney side Maccabi 12-3 in their characteristic flamboyant style last night at the Dural Sports and Leisure Centre. It was the second practice match on tour for the Solomon boys, with coach Victor Wai’ia once again fielding an experimental line-up in order to best prepare for the World Cup.

As with Saturday’s game against New South Wales, the focus of the team was again on defence. Earlier in the day the squad welcomed technical advisor Scott Gilligan, the current Australian coach and former Tahiti Technical Advisor, who brings a wealth of experience to Kurukuru. He took the boys through a special training session on defensive techniques earlier in the day.

“I think that’ it’s a great opportunity for me and it’s a pleasure to be involved with a such a group of young and talented players,” he said.

“We only had a half-hour session together before playing Maccabi and they picked things up really well. There was a great improvement defensively between the game against new South Wales and tonight. After two weeks in Brazil I think they’ll improve a lot.”

Five unanswered goals in the first fifteen minutes as good as guaranteed Kurukuru the victory, although Maccabi hit back twice late in the half to reduce the deficit. One of their goals came from a penalty kick that Maccabi earned after Solomons conceded five free kicks in play, something that Wai’ia regretted.

“It was a shame about the amount of fouls that we gave, but it was good for the boys to learn now not to over-commit in tackles while still being defensively strong.” Goals continued to flow for Kurukuru in the second half, although their ambition to keep their own net free of the ball was not met as Maccabi struck a consolation goal shortly after Solomons had established an 11-2 lead.

The goal of the match came from Kukukuru goalkeeper Junior Kogua who ventured from the back of the court and passed to Philip Houtarau, who then found Moffat Sikwa’ai. The ball was then squared to Kogua who cracked a shot passed the Maccabi keeper.

Today the team completed their final gym and pool session in Sydney, before leaving for Brazil on Thursday evening. Winger Francis Lafai said that the team has enjoyed being in Australia, but that, ‘the weather is so cold. But it’s been good here because we can watch video footage of our practice matches and learn from our mistakes. I’m very exited because I’ve always dreamt about playing Futsal in Brazil.’

Source : Oceania Football Confederation
Published : 11/9/2008