OFC U17 women

The welcoming ceremony was attended by players from New Zealand, New Caledonia, Samoa, Tonga and hosts Cook Islands and along with CIFA President Lee Harmon, Cook Islands Minister of Youth and Sports Albert Nicholas and CISNOC President Hugh Graham who took time from their busy schedules to assist in making it a memorable occasion for the visitors.

The tournament, which starts on Wednesday, will for the first time feature eight regional teams from Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu.

Tournament director and CIFA competitions manager Pauline Dean said preparation was well underway for the regional meet, which will end on January 23.

She said they were working around the clock to ensure a memorable tournament for the budding footballers from around the region.