A total of 22, the highest to date, international players will feature in the 70th Courts/Homecentres Inter District Championship which kicks off in Ba on Thursday.

Ten Solomon Islanders, three Ni Vanuatu and nine players from Australia and New Zealand make the list of international participants featuring for the various super premier districts in Fiji’s biggest and most celebrated tournament.

Apart from the foreigners, 15 local players playing their trade overseas have also made the final cut in the respective district final registrations and are set to feature in the four day event.

Fiji Football Association chief executive officer Bob Kumar said the inclusion of the international players will add more flavor to the tournament and will also raise the level of competition.

“Majority of the super premier districts have sorted the services of international players in the tournament which somewhat should make the competition more exciting and entertaining, said Kumar.

“Teams like Nadroga and Nasinu which featured in the Bottom Four competition and did not do well in the other tournaments have been strengthened with overseas players and it would be interesting to note how they feature in the tournament against the other districts.

Kumar when questioned as to why Fiji Football Association allowed so many international players to feature in the tournament and that their inclusion wasn’t doing any good towards the development of the sport in the country said the districts themselves came up with the resolution in one of the council meetings to allow overseas players to play their trade in Fiji.

“It’s not Fiji FA’s decision but that of the districts affiliated to us to have international players involved in our local competitions.

“The parent body once wanted to stop the overseas players completely from playing here as it was observed that districts were becoming too reliant on foreigners and doing very little in terms of development in their respective districts.

“Our president Dr Sahu Khan tabled the motion but the districts went against it and finally there was a resolution that only three foreign players will be allowed to feature for one district in a particular competition and no more than that.

“ Nasinu a couple of years back had nine Solomon Islanders featuring for them in a tournament and this really raised a lot of concern amongst the soccer followers and the parent body itself as the district was somewhat completely reliant on the Island players for glory”
“The reduction to three foreigners was a somewhat a better solution as district have field 19 of their own players in the squad for a particular tournament” Kumar concluded.

The list of overseas players featuring for the various districts is as follows:

Rewa: Lucian Sikawee (Sol Islands), Wesley Olea (Sol Islands), Junior Kluivert (Sol Islands).
Suva: Seimata Chillia (Vanuatu), Tony Chillia (Vanuatu), Hampton Mosah (Sol Islands).
Navua: Che Bunce (New Zealand), Matthew Williams (New Zealand), Rasmus Hensen (Iceland).
Nasinu: George Gulu (Sol Islands), Aldrine Kilua (Sol Islands), Robert Mafane (Sol Islands).
Nadroga: Tolgay Ozbey (Australia), Tayfun Devrimol (Australia), Vuko Tomasevic (Australia).
Nadi: Stanley Waita (Sol Islands), George Lui (Sol Islands), Godwin Beubeu (Sol Islands).
Labasa: Joseph Nimariau (Vanuatu).
Lautoka: Goran Subara (Australia), Nikola Zonjic (Australia), Ali Cem Akbal (Australia).

The overseas based locals include Vimlesh Naicker (Tavua), Sameer Ali (Rewa), Stewart Bola (Rewa), Waisake Sabutu (Rewa), Janitesh Narayan (Nasinu), Moshin Javed Nabi (Nadroga), Esala Masi (Nadroga), Ratu Veresa Toma (Nadroga), Rohitendra Sharma (Nadroga), Inoke Boseilala (Nadi), Viliame Toma (Nadi), Peni Finau (Lautoka), Osea Vakatalesau (Lautoka), Shivam Swamy (Labasa), Angatesh Murti Rao (Labasa).

Fijilive

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