The Fiji Football Association plans to start a 16-team beach soccer tournament in the buildup for the Oceania Beach Soccer Nations Cup scheduled to be held in Papeete, Tahiti later in the year.
The Oceania Beach Soccer Nations Cup will act as Oceania Football Confederation’s qualification for the 2021 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup which will be held in Russia at the end of the year.
Fiji FA chief executive officer Mohammed Yusuf said they were looking for a suitable venue to hold their competition.
“For beach soccer we wanted to start off with an open tournament where we could invite teams to participate,” he said.
“The plan is to kick off with a 16-team tournament and see what interest is generated.
“Thereafter for other competitions we will see whether we go by districts or local clubs that will have to be decided by the Fiji FA board.”
Fiji was placed third in the Oceania Beach Soccer Nations Cup in 2011 and fourth in 2009.
Tahiti the defending champion of Oceania has reached the final of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup twice. In the 2015 final, Tahiti lost to hosts Portugal 5-3 while in the 2017 final, Tahiti went down 6-0 to champion Brazil in the Bahamas.
