From the Beach to the FIFA Club World Cup

Beach Soccer fans enjoyed a great surprise during the recently finished FIFA Club World Cup, held in Abu Dhabi (UAE) some weeks ago. The Papua New Guinean side Hekari United, surprising representative from the Oceanian Confederation, counted on their ranks with two sand regulars from the Solomon Islands National Team: Gideon Omokirio and Benjamin Mela.

Indeed, Omokirio is one of the most the experienced footballers of the squad, and has taken part in the last four FIFA Beach Soccer World Cups played by the Solomon Islands. He was in Rio de Janeiro 2006 and 2007, Marseille 2008 and Dubai 2009, and now he has also became a key player for the Papuan New Guinean Champions, a team he joined in 2009 from Solomon Islander Kossa FC. During the last FIFA Club World Cup, Omokirio owned the right full back place in the team, and played the whole 90 minutes of the historic appearance of the club in one of the most important football Club competitions worldwide. Unfortunately for his side, though, he could do little to prevent Hekari’s defeat to hosts Al Wahda.

The undeniable links between the top-level football and the top-level beach soccer gets again confirmed. And it becomes, time after time, more a two-ways path.

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