The Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF) has announced that it will be hosting a highly anticipated weeklong Invitational Beach Soccer Championship from June 26 to July 1, 2023. The championship will take place at the scenic DC Park, located in Central Guadalcanal.
In an effort to promote the exciting sport of beach soccer, SIFF’s Competition Department has invited interested and active beach soccer clubs and teams from throughout the provinces and Honiara to participate in the tournament. To register for the championship, provincial teams, clubs, or ward teams must submit their registration to the SIFF secretariat, with the registration deadline set for 5 pm, Friday, 16th June 2023.
“For provinces that are not active in the beach soccer code, registration is not required. Confirmed clubs and teams that wish to participate will be responsible for their own sea fare to Honiara and return,” explained the SIFF Competition Department. SIFF will cover the cost of accommodation and internal transportation to the competition venue for the confirmed clubs and teams.
While only ten teams will be approved to participate in the championship, each participating club or team is allowed to register a maximum of twelve players and three officials. The SIFF Competition Department announced that the confirmed clubs for the championship will be announced on June 19. This gives the participants ample time to prepare for the exciting tournament and make necessary arrangements for their journey to Honiara.
As the date of the championship draws nearer, excitement is building, and all eyes will be on the DC Park in Central Guadalcanal, celebrating the game played barefoot on the sand and promoting the growth of beach soccer in the Solomon Islands. Beach soccer enthusiasts and fans of the sport can look forward to witnessing a thrilling display of talent and skill as the best beach soccer clubs from across the Solomon Islands compete for the championship title.
The Solomon Islands National Beach Soccer Team, Bilikiki, is the group credited with truly taking the Solomon Islands to the world scene in football when they qualified for the country’s first-ever world cup berth in the FIFA 2006 Beach Soccer World Cup in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Named after a sea bird known for its peculiar walking action the team is known to celebrate their victories with the Bilikiki dance.
Bilikiki has participated in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup competition since it debuted in 2006. This is a total of four World Cup appearances. It continues to be the powerhouse in Oceania fending off managing disappointing challenges from it neighbours over the last years only for Tahiti to emerge as Oceania’s leading team on recent occasions.
For more details, visit SIFF
Source: SIFF
