Latest news with #US Virgin Islands
BBC News
4 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Marshall Islands football team 'proud' of first ever match
A football team has said they "made history" of playing its first ever international match for its Marshall Islands' first faced off the US Virgin Islands on Thursday in Springdale, a 4-0 loss to the recognised FIFA nation, the Marshall Islands Soccer Federation posted on Facebook to say it was "so proud of what was accomplished". Head coach Lloyd Owers, from Banbury in Oxfordshire, previously said it was "definitely surreal" and that even the team "thought it wouldn't happen". The Pacific Island nation is home to about 40,000 people and had previously been the self-proclaimed "last country on Earth without a football team".Its first match formed part of the 2025 Outrigger Challenge Cup - the Marshall Islands Soccer Federation annual competition to create more opportunities for nations in our region to play competitive soccer and raise awareness of the team's group shot after the game has an inscription "Whatever the score, so proud of what was accomplished. Tonight, we made history".They will also be playing against Turks and Caicos. The four team tournament in the US was organised by the Marshall Islands Soccer Federation, and is seen as first step towards the team joining FIFA and competing in World Cup qualifying matches."We've got players that are coming from all different parts of the world, we've got a lot of US-based players that are experienced but we're also combining them with players from the Marshall Islands," Mr Owers said of the playing squad. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BreakingNews.ie
5 days ago
- Sport
- BreakingNews.ie
'Last nation on earth without a football team' prepares for first competitive match
Marshall Islands assistant manager Justin Walley admits the actuality of kicking off the country's first ever international football match still feels like a dream. The Marshall Islands have long claimed to be 'the last nation on earth without a football team', and did not even have a federation until 2020, let alone the national set-up, which has only existed for the last two and a half years. Advertisement For some members of the squad, Thursday's meeting with the US Virgin Islands at the Outrigger Challenge Cup in Arkansas will be their first competitive game of 11 v 11 football – ever. 'There's a sort of unrealness to it that we can't believe it's actually happening,' Leicestershire-born Walley, who now lives in Bosnia and Herzegovina, told the PA news agency. 'But we've been working very hard and we're really focused on what's ahead of us. We've already had several days of hard work and planning. Hopefully we will be as ready as we can be.' Springdale, Arkansas might seem like an odd choice of location for the Marshall Islands-hosted four-team tournament, but it is an area which, as of 2019, boasted the highest concentration of Marshallese in continental United States. Advertisement Some members of the squad have been recruited from Majuro, the Kwajalein Atoll, and other parts of the Marshall Islands itself, with its population of around 37,500 – and no club football. Amazing support from the public and lots of football clubs around the world following us ahead of our first-ever games this week. Please keep the follows and love coming! It makes us feel stronger — Marshall Islands Soccer Federation (@SoccerFedMI) August 12, 2025 Several team members have moved to the United States, where some play for US colleges, while others have Marshallese heritage. Their technical director and head coach, Lloyd Owers, who joined in 2022, is based in Oxfordshire. As far as they are aware, the Marshall Islands is the only recognised UN member state not to have played an 11 v 11 international fixture. Advertisement Some local to Majuro participated in an initial team meeting 18 months ago, but, revealed Walley: 'In terms of an actual national team training camp, this is the first one we have ever done. Players have gathered in Arkansas for their first training camp (Marshall Islands Soccer Federation/PA) 'The guys flew in on Friday and Saturday, the first training session ever was on Saturday. We're trying to cram in five days of camp to be ready. 'We try to train like we would with any normal club side. We just try to develop what we've got. Some of the guys do play club football, some have never played 11-a-side. They've played futsal. 'We've been developing that all week, we've played a few sort of mini-games, so it's not as if they (will have) never played 11-a-side before, they will be ready.' Advertisement The federation hopes to be recognised by FIFA in the next five years (Marshall Islands Football Federation/PA) Walley hopes what started out as a group of men with a vision – but no infrastructure – will lead to FIFA recognition by 2030 at the latest, though the first step is acceptance into a confederation. Funding for their big international debut has come from sponsorship, a £21,573 crowdfunding campaign, and about 2000 shirts sold over the last couple of years. 'I think people weren't taking us seriously,' admits Walley, who says the side want to give 'the best account of themselves possible' in their historic match. He added: 'They weren't thinking that we could possibly pull this off, playing national teams. We've come a long, long way in a short time.' Advertisement
The Independent
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
The Marshall Islands gearing up for historic international football match
Marshall Islands assistant manager Justin Walley admits the actuality of kicking off the country's first ever international football match still feels like a dream. The Marshall Islands have long claimed to be 'the last nation on earth without a football team', and did not even have a federation until 2020, let alone the national set-up which has only existed for the last two and a half years. For some members of the squad, Thursday's meeting with the US Virgin Islands at the Outrigger Challenge Cup in Arkansas will be their first competitive game of 11 v 11 football – ever. 'There's a sort of unrealness to it that we can't believe it's actually happening,' Leicestershire-born Walley, who now lives in Bosnia and Herzegovina, told the PA news agency. 'But we've been working very hard and we're really focused on what's ahead of us. We've already had several days of hard work and planning. Hopefully we will be as ready as we can be.' Springdale, Arkansas might seem like an odd choice of location for the Marshall Islands-hosted four-team tournament, but it is an area which, as of 2019, boasted the highest concentration of Marshallese in continental United States. Some members of the squad have been recruited from Majuro, the Kwajalein Atoll, and other parts of the Marshall Islands itself, with its population of around 37,500 – and no club football. Several team members have moved to the United States, where some play for US colleges, while others have Marshallese heritage. Their technical director and head coach, Lloyd Owers, who joined in 2022, is based in Oxfordshire. As far as they are aware, the Marshall Islands is the only recognised UN member state not to have played an 11 v 11 international fixture. Some local to Majuro participated in an initial team meeting 18 months ago, but, revealed Walley: 'In terms of an actual national team training camp, this is the first one we have ever done. 'The guys flew in on Friday and Saturday, the first training session ever was on Saturday. We're trying to cram in five days of camp to be ready. 'We try to train like we would with any normal club side. We just try to develop what we've got. Some of the guys do play club football, some have never played 11-a-side. They've played futsal. 'We've been developing that all week, we've played a few sort of mini-games, so it's not as if they (will have) never played 11-a-side before, they will be ready.' Walley hopes what started out as a group of men with a vision – but no infrastructure – will lead to FIFA recognition by 2030 at the latest, though the first step is acceptance into a confederation. Funding for their big international debut has come from sponsorship, a £21,573 crowdfunding campaign, and about 2000 shirts sold over the last couple of years. 'I think people weren't taking us seriously,' admits Walley, who says the side want to give 'the best account of themselves possible' in their historic match. He added: 'They weren't thinking that we could possibly pull this off, playing national teams. We've come a long, long way in a short time.'
Telegraph
08-08-2025
- Telegraph
Passenger ‘sliced open' after water slide breaks on world's largest cruise ship
A passenger was 'sliced open' after a water slide broke on the Icon of the Seas cruise ship. The male passenger reportedly received lacerations to his leg and back when a section of the Frightening Bolt slide cracked on Thursday, creating a jagged edge. Footage shows water gushing through the gaping hole in the slide as terrified passengers demand that the crew shut it down. The passenger did not fall through the hole but received severe cuts as he sped over the broken edge. He received medical attention on board and is reportedly in a stable condition. The 46ft high slide, in the ship's Thrill Island area, has the biggest drop at sea and includes a trapdoor launch and a 360-degree loop. The cruise ship is heading to Royal Caribbean's CocoCay island and will then return to Miami. The seven-day round trip sees it docking at St Maarten, the US Virgin Islands and the Bahamas. Tickets for a week-long trip on the Icon of the Seas for the Eastern Caribbean and Perfect Day at CocoCay tour for a family of four start at £2,048, according to current availability. A Royal Caribbean Group spokesman said: 'Our team provided medical care to an adult guest when acrylic glass broke off a water slide as the guest passed through the slide. 'The guest is being treated for his injuries. The water slide is closed for the remainder of the sailing pending an investigation.' The 1,200ft-long Icon of the Seas and its sister ship Star of the Seas are the world's biggest cruise ships. Each can accommodate 7,600 passengers. The incident comes two weeks after an Icon of the Seas crew member stabbed a colleague and jumped overboard to his death. The South African man, 35, allegedly stabbed a woman, 28, multiple times on board the ship off the coast of San Salvador Island. He then jumped off the ship and was found dead by its onboard medical staff. The woman survived the attack.
Yahoo
03-08-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Where is Epstein's island? Trump said he ‘never had the privilege' to visit
President Donald Trump denied ever visiting late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's private island in one of his "very good moments." Trump was in Scotland answering questions from reporters on July 28 as the controversy over the criminal case files on the financier indicted on sex trafficking charges continues to roil his administration. Epstein owned a small private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where sex trafficking of young girls allegedly occurred. 'I never had the privilege of going to his island, and I did turn it down, but a lot of people in Palm Beach were invited to his island," Trump said. 'In one of my very good moments, I turned it down. I didn't want to go to his island.' Where does the island fit in the Epstein saga? Here is what to know: More: Trump says poached Mar-a-Lago spa staff included Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre What happened at Epstein's island? In January 2020, prosecutors with the U.S. Virgin Islands filed a lawsuit against Epstein's estate, alleging a criminal enterprise took place on his property there involving the sexual abuse of young girls. "Epstein owned and arranged for private planes, helicopters, boat and automobiles to transport victims to, from and within the Virgin Islands, and provided money to pay these young women and underage girls," the lawsuit stated. Numerous girls forced into his scheme were 12 to 17 years old, the lawsuit alleged, stating local authorities last observed related events happening in 2018. A web of companies owned by Epstein, dubbed the "Epstein Enterprise" by prosecutors, "deceptively lured underage girls and women into its sex trafficking ring with money and promises of employment, career opportunities and school assistance." One 15-year-old girl tried to escape by swimming, the lawsuit states. The estate settled the case with the U.S. Virgin Islands for $105 million in December 2022. More: Jeffrey Epstein, a survivor's untold story and the complexity of abuse Where is the Epstein island located? The island Epstein owned was in the U.S Virgin Islands. Epstein also owned property in New York and Palm Beach, where federal U.S. prosecutors also allege sex trafficking occurred. Ghislaine Maxwell eyes clemency as MAGA calls for Epstein transparency Trump has been dealing with questions and controversy over Epstein for weeks, with members of both parties calling for more transparency about the man's criminal case. Trump has called for the release of more documents, but one federal judge in Florida has already denied the request to unseal grand jury transcripts. The backlash has also led the Department of Justice back to Epstein's ex-partner Ghislaine Maxwell for more information. She is serving a 20-year prison sentence for trafficking a minor to Epstein for sexual abuse. She spoke with DOJ officials over two days last week, and Trump has not yet ruled out a pardon. Trump and Epstein shared a friendship for years, as they were both part of the Palm Beach, Florida, community, where Mar-a-Lago is located. 'I wouldn't talk to Jeffrey Epstein because he did something that was inappropriate. … He stole people that worked for me. I said, 'Don't ever do that again.' He did it again, and I threw him out of the place,' Trump said, in reference to his Mar-a-Lago club and residence. 'Persona non grata." Contributing: Josh Meyer and Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAY Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kcrowley@ Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump said he 'never had the privilege' to visit island Epstein owned Solve the daily Crossword
