Honiara was again captured by brilliant moments of futsal as the Vikings Solomon Futsal Tournament concluded yesterday with two great matches for the spectators to watch.
The two matches played on Saturday was the third and fourth finals between Vania futsal side and the much young Marist Futsal side and followed by the grand final was between Kooline and Indoor Solo. It was an incredible atmosphere as the Kooline fans turned up to support their team. The Indoor Solo side even though they lack the same percentage of supporters as the Kooline side, they looked sharp on many occasions but failed to capitalize on their chances. The star-studded grand final was just a fitting end to a tournament which saw some big names battling it for their respective teams. In the Kooline line up, the experience of Coleman Makau and Robert Laua was the difference in the game against their much balanced Indoor Solo side. George Stevenson and Dennis Ifunaoa were the two leading the Indoor Solo side against the mighty Koolines but their inclusion alone was not enough to carry them across the victory line.
The teams that participate in this tournament were all competing well and it showed in the two final matches that the level of futsal being showcased was at a very high standard. In the third and fourth playoffs, the Vania side was fighting with so much passion for containing the experience young Marist side but couldn’t do so as Kurukuru’s Alwin Hou and Raphael Leai was grabbing almost all the goals and making a difference for the team. The grand final was just as entertaining as the third and fourth playoffs but the toast of the match indeed was the danger man, Elis Mana. The star-studded side of Kooline opened the match in the first half with four answered goals and secured the match at the final whistle by a scoreline of five goals as Indoor Solo only managed to get one goal on the scoreboard. The Kooline captain, Coleman Makau said in an interview after the game, “I am pleased with the result. It was a tough game but I believe the only difference was that a lot of the boys in Indoor Solo are eleven-a-side players. That gave us a team full of futsal players a step ahead because such game requires full potential on the court. I thank all my boys and especially the supporters”.
The tournament was a success and even the referees were all but praise for the good atmosphere both from players and supporters. The competition organizer, Paul Muia also spoke of a bigger tournament approaching. “This tournament was very successful and the next one will be a big one. In this current tournament, the first prize was a sum of $5,000.00 and a trophy followed by respective prizes for the three teams below first place. In the ‘Battle of the Giants’ tournament which is the big one, the first prize will be $12,000.00 and a trophy and also prizes for the following three teams below first place” said Mr. Muia. The tournament was even better because the referees that took charge of the games were qualified referees and FIFA badge officials. The three officials in charge of the grand final were Philip Mana, Simon Sabe and Obadiah Wale. Philip Mana who is a FIFA badge referee in futsal expressed his views about the tournament. “This is a very good tournament because the crowds are controlled, the atmosphere is great giving us match officials much security and the level of futsal is of top standard.” Said the confident Mr. Mana.
The upcoming futsal tournament will be a tournament to watch as all teams will have time to pick out from such tournaments as this one their best teams. One of the top teams looking forward to make their presence felt is the Wantok Futsal winners, G.Camp United. There have been 12 teams already confirmed and the Wantok Futsal Cup winners are going to be amongst the favorites. The confirm date of the tournament will be released later on the media.
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