Oceania

With an aim to encourage players to support Oceania events and provide the highest performing players with additional support to enable them to attend international tournaments or training camps, the tour awards prize money to those who accumulate the highest amount of World Ranking points from the eligible tournaments that take place across Oceania.

The regional team failed to win a match in their first appearance in 18 years after being swept 3-0 by China, Indonesia and South Korea to finish bottom of Pool B, consigning them to automatic relegation back to Group Two in 2020.

Team Captain Gilles De Gouy said the players failed to take their chances against more experienced opposition.

Hosted by the Catholic Bishops Conference of PNG and Solomon Islands here in Port Moresby, the conference will discuss a range of issues widespread in the Oceania Region.

The Conference is an important gathering of Bishops from Australia, New Zealand, PNG, Solomon Islands, Fiji and other Pacific Island nations.

The theme; Care for our common home of Oceania and sub theme Sea of Possibilities is fitting, especially at this time when countries in the Region have been subjected to natural disasters.

The head of the secretariat, Seve Paeniu, said it believed this stems from a significant increase in production in China, driven by demand for the drug in Australia and New Zealand.

Mr Paeniu said countries in Micronesia and Melanesia were also experiencing an increase in the use of methamphetamines, with a resulting rise in criminal acitivity and accompanying societal issues.

He said efforts to combat the trend had uncovered both local and foreign involvement in the illegal trade alongside the increase in criminals being deported in the region.

During the Olympic Day celebrations held yesterday in Port Moresby, Leon Thomas of Oceania Fencing introduced the sport to students from different schools.

The Oceania region is considered as a development zone of fencing and Thomas believes that if they spread the word and generate more interest, the code can gain a following in other Oceania countries considering PNG’s population, geography and influence in the region.

Thomas, who took part in four World Fencing Championships, was pleased with the interest shown by participants in Port Moresby.

The stakes are higher than ever this year, with the 17th edition of the competition being the first to offer two OFC nations berths in the FIFA youth tournament.

The 2015 edition’s runners-up Tahiti will host preliminary champions Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and five-time consecutive champions, New Zealand, in Papeete for the 24 matches.

The excitement is set to play out in two locations – Stade Mahina for Group A and Stade Pater for Group B – with the latter also gearing up to host the final.

The Local Organizing Committee (LOC) in Port Moresby is offering affordable ticket prices to all domestic and international football fans who wish to attend matches at this first-ever U-20 Women’s tournament in the Oceania region.

All Packages and individual ticket categories will be offered to the general public through FIFA.com or various outlets located across Port Moresby. They are available on a first come, first serve basis.

RNZ reports Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Papua New Guinea each had two athletes competing at the Rio Paralympics earlier this month.

The President of the Oceania Paralympic Committee, Paul Bird, said the performance of the Pacific's newest athletes was an encouraging sign for the future.

He said currently most athletes receive wildcards to compete at the Paralympics but they want to see more Pacific representatives qualifying on merit.

OFC and PNG Football Association President David Chung highlighted this aspect of facility management during the opening of a three-day FIFA Maintenance Seminar which is being hosted in Port Moresby.

The 2015 Oceania Rugby Junior Trophy will be hosted by the Fiji Rugby Union at ANZ Stadium, Suva between 27 November and 5 December, 2015.

This was announced by FRU CEO Radrodro Tabualevu at a Press Conference on Friday.

“We are pleased to announce that the Fiji Rugby Union will host the 2015 Oceania Rugby Junior Trophy.”

“There are four teams that will play in the tournament, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Vanuatu and the Vodafone Fiji U20.”