Latest news with #OFC
Scoop
a day ago
- Sport
- Scoop
Rising Stars Set For OFC U-16 Women's Championship In Samoa
Press Release – OFC Defending champions New Zealand return with their sights set on another title, while hosts Samoa look to build on their impressive runner-up finish in the previous edition, buoyed by passionate home support. The stage is set in Apia for the 2025 OFC U-16 Women's Championship, as eight Pacific nations prepare to compete for regional glory and qualification for the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup 2027 in Morocco. Defending champions New Zealand return with their sights set on another title, while hosts Samoa look to build on their impressive runner-up finish in the previous edition, buoyed by passionate home support. At today's pre-tournament media conference, all eight teams shared a clear message: this championship is about more than results, it's a platform for growth, pride, and progress. There is plenty to play for, with the tournament winners and runners up qualifying for next year's FIFA U-17 Women's World Cuyp in Morocco. Led by Juan Chang Urrea, Samoa's youthful squad enters the tournament riding a wave of national excitement following the senior team's strong showing at the OFC Women's Nations Cup. Urrea said his side are proud to represent Samoa on home soil. 'We want every team to have an amazing experience in our beautiful country. But on the field, we don't think about tomorrow, we focus on winning today.' 'This is about being examples, on and off the pitch. We'll turn gratitude into growth and make Samoa proud with every action.' Chang Urrea said. Under head coach Alana Gunn, New Zealand brings a balanced squad blending tournament experience and fresh talent. The reigning champions are focused on continuing their dominant run, while developing players for the global stage. 'Every match here teaches adaptability to different styles, to life on tour, to growing as athletes and people,' said Gunn. 'The U-17 World Cup isn't just an achievement, it's a global stage where dreams become reality. That's what we're preparing these players for.' Inspired by their senior team's historic OFC Women's Nations Cup victory, the Solomon Islands aim to channel that momentum into their youth campaign under Japanese coach Kato Yamashita. 'Our goal is to become champions, but more importantly, to connect these players with the world through football,' said Yamashita. 'The Nations Cup win showed what's possible. Now it's their turn to inspire the next generation.' With a proud footballing tradition and increasing investment in women's football, New Caledonia arrives eager to compete under head coach Kengi Vendegu. 'I want the girls to have fun on the pitch,' said Vendegu. 'Yes, World Cup qualification is at stake, but it's also about enjoying the game and showing what we've worked hard on.' Coach Marika Rondu leads a diverse squad representing the full spectrum of Fiji's development system, from veterans making a third tournament appearance to newcomers experiencing international football for the first time. 'For some of these girls, it's their first flight, their first time away from home,' Rondu explained. 'Each game is a learning opportunity, not just in football, but in life as an athlete. We're growing day by day.' Tonga coach Shinsuke Okiso brings a philosophical approach, placing emphasis on mindset, self-belief, and long-term growth. 'I don't want them to just play, I want them to leave here with greater ambition,' he said. 'Playing for the national team means playing for yourself first, then for your team. I want them to feel something real and lasting from this experience.' Making their tournament debut having won the qualifying tournament earlier this year, American Samoa marks a major milestone in the nation's footballing journey. Coach Diane Justus sees this as a pivotal moment. 'This is history for our country,' said Justus.'It's our first time reaching this level. We're here to make the nation proud and show we can compete, and grow beyond where we've been before. Under the guidance of Delphine Soret, Tahiti arrives with a focus on patience and technical development. Their approach is about building solid foundations for the future. Soret and her staff are looking for progress, composure, and growth across the tournament, laying the groundwork for long-term success. The tournament kicks off tomorrow in Apia, with Fiji playing Tahiti in the opening group A match followed by Samoa against New Caledonia.
RNZ News
a day ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
Dengue precautions in place as Samoa prepares for U16 women's tournament
Samoa's Ayres Ava on attack against the Cook Islands during the OFC 2024 Under-16 Women's Championship in Fiji. Photo: Kirk Corrie / The Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) 2025 Under-16 Women's Championship scheduled to kick off in Apia on Friday will go ahead despite the current dengue fever outbreak in the country. In a statement sent to RNZ Pacific, the OFC it was closely monitoring the situation. "OFC is working in collaboration with Samoa Football and local health authorities to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all participants," it said. "As a precaution, all competition venues have been fumigated, and OFC is providing mosquito repellent to players, team staff, and officials," the OFC said. "A comprehensive tournament health protocol is in place, which includes preventative advice and guidance for all attending delegations. The health and safety of everyone involved remains our top priority." The Samoa National Emergency Operation Center (NEOC) said on Tuesday that they are continuing with the national dengue fever fumigation campaign across schools. Schools have been closed while the fumigation work continues. A total of 102 schools were fumigated on Monday as part of the nationwide dengue prevention effort. Samoa Football Federation (SFA) said it had taken measures to ensure players and officials participating in the tournament were not affected by the dengue fever outbreak. A statement from SFA said officials have worked with hotels that will house teams to assess their preparedness for safeguarding guests. "In light of the recent dengue fever outbreak in Samoa, we proactively visited each hotel where our team will be staying over the weekend to assess their preparedness for safeguarding guests against this health concern," it stated on Monday. "We were pleased to discover that the hotels have implemented several comprehensive measures. "They have already conducted thorough spraying to eliminate potential mosquito breeding grounds, each room is equipped with repellent, ensuring guests have easy access to protection while they relax. "Hand sanitisers will be readily available throughout the premises, promoting good hygiene practices and the hotels are committed to maintaining a clean and safe environment, offering peace of mind to everyone staying with them. "These proactive steps reflect a strong commitment to guest safety and well-being during our visit." Eight teams will compete in the competition, including Fiji, American Samoa, Samoa, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Tahiti, Solomon Islands and Tonga.
RNZ News
2 days ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
Samoa Football assure safety measures amid dengue outbreak ahead of OFC U16 event
Samoa's Ayres Ava on attack against the Cook Islands during the OFC 2024 Under-16 Women's Championship in Fiji. Photo: Kirk Corrie / Samoa's football federation (SFA) says they have taken measures to ensure players and officials participating in the upcoming Oceania Football Conferderation (OFC) 2025 Under-16 Women's Championship is not affected by the recent dengue fever outbreak in the the country. A statement from SFA said officials have worked with hotels that will house teams to assess their preparedness for safeguarding guests. "In light of the recent dengue fever outbreak in Samoa, we proactively visited each hotel where our team will be staying over the weekend to assess their preparedness for safeguarding guests against this health concern," it stated on Monday. "We were pleased to discover that the hotels have implemented several comprehensive measures. "They have already conducted thorough spraying to eliminate potential mosquito breeding grounds, each room is equipped with repellent, ensuring guests have easy access to protection while they relax. "Hand sanitisers will be readily available throughout the premises, promoting good hygiene practices and the hotels are committed to maintaining a clean and safe environment, offering peace of mind to everyone staying with them. "These proactive steps reflect a strong commitment to guest safety and well-being during our visit." The OFC Under-16 tournament kicks off in Apia on Friday, with nine teams competing. They include Fiji, American Samoa, Samoa, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Tahiti, Solomon Islands and Tonga. The OFC is expected to update teams on Wednesday about the risks and status. Local media Taumua Online reported on Tuesday that schools have closed this week as close to 16,000 dengue fever cases have been recorded so far. The online website said a fumigation operation resumed this week covering all Samoa schools along with other high-risk areas as part of a nationwide dengue response. This is in addition to a national clean-up campaign last Saturday, mobilising villages and communities to clean their surroundings and eliminate mosquito breeding grounds as part of the nationwide dengue response. Deputy Director of the Pediatric Ward at the Tupua Tamasese Meaole (TTM) hospital Ulugia Dr Tito Kamu confirmed cases continue to rise and the most vulnerable age group is from 1 to 15 years old, the outlet reported. He said that the hospital is managing and they have to pull-in public health doctors and call-in senior doctors on call to assist.
Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Queen's HS pupil ‘excited' to be representing NZ
You can chase your dreams from anywhere. Charlotte Summers is proof of that. The gun footballer is the only player from the South Island to be selected in the New Zealand team to compete at the OFC under-16 women's championship in Samoa next month. "I'm very excited," Summers said. The Apia tournament is a qualifying event for the Fifa Under-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco later this year — that tournament is now being held annually — and New Zealand are out to defend their title. New Zealand, coached by Alana Gunn, who previously spent six seasons as head coach of the Canterbury Pride, have been drawn in group B alongside American Samoa, Solomon Islands and Tonga. Summers, 16, is part of an 18-strong squad, featuring 14 domestic players and four based in Australia and the Netherlands, and looks forward to testing herself. "I'm excited to get to know all the girls better and obviously playing football with them will be great," Summers said. "I'm excited to play the other countries. I think that'll be really cool." Summers, a striker or attacking midfielder, started kicking a football around at 7 when she joined Melchester Rovers, playing in a "wee boys team" that her father, David, helped coach. Melchester later amalgamated with several Dunedin clubs to form the Dunedin City Royals, where she now plays for the women's reserves team. Summers also plays representative football for the Southern United youth side, and represents the Queen's High School First XI, coached by Royals and Southern United defender Hannah Mackay-Wright, who is a teacher at the school. Mackay-Wright and Queen's director of sport Tessa Nicol both played representative football for New Zealand growing up and were great mentors. "It's great for us because they have some great experience," Summers said. Dunedin goalkeeping coach Tom Stevens, who has been an assistant with Southern United in the national league for several years, is part of the coaching team heading to Samoa. New Zealand kick off their title defence against Tonga on August 2. It will be a busy August for Summers, who will jump off the plane back home to head straight to Taupō for the girls premier tournament with Queen's for winter tournament week.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
Railways successfully pilot tests advanced signalling system to prevent accidents
. NEW DELHI: In a significant move to enhance rail safety and eliminate accidents caused by human error and faulty signalling like that at Balasore, which claimed 296 lives, the railways has successfully completed pilot runs of the new Direct Drive Electronic Interlocking (DDEI) system at three stations, including Jammu and Tajpur (Madhya Pradesh). The new signalling system eliminates human interface and will be used across the railway network in the future. DDEI represents a major technological shift in railway signalling. Unlike conventional systems that rely on mechanical linkages and relay-based interlocking, DDEI directly controls points (track switches) and signals through advanced electronic components and software. This drastically reduces human intervention, thereby minimising the scope for operational errors, railway officials said. The system ensures that all switches are correctly aligned, the track is free from obstruction, and level crossing gates are securely closed before a train is allowed to proceed. It also guarantees that only one route is cleared at a time, preventing conflicting train movements. The railway ministry had taken up the pilot projects in FY 2023-24 as a part of the plan to improve the signaling system. 'The results are encouraging, and now it can be used extensively,' said a railway official. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If you have a mouse, play this game for 1 minute Navy Quest Undo Electronic interlocking is a key safety mechanism in railway operations, ensuring safe train movements through stations and junctions. While traditional electronic interlocking (EI) systems rely heavily on relays to manage signals and switches, DDEI eliminates the need for most relays by directly monitoring and controlling signaling gear. It also detects gear positions in real time, further reducing the potential for mishaps. Railway sources said the use of Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) in DDEI reduces the requirement of conventional copper cable by 60–70%, thereby providing protection against lightning. 'Number of relays also reduces by about 70%, thereby reducing maintenance cost and making it easier to locate any fault,' an official said. Relay is a device that controls the electrical circuit that operates the EI.
