The Western Football Association (WFA) has announced that the Western Cup will be staged mid next year, bringing together young athletes from across the Western Province.
The announcement was made by WFA Vice President Jim Ben during the closing presentation of the Gizo Kolombangara Constituency (GKC) Cup held at Ringi, Kolombangara, Western Province on Sunday afternoon.
Ben told the crowd that the Western Cup forms part of the Sports Division calendar under the Western Provincial Government (WPG) and will feature soccer, netball and volleyball.
He said the tournament will be hosted in Gizo during the June school holiday break, with a strong focus on youth development.
“Each constituency will be represented by only one team,” Mr Ben said.
However, he explained that the Gizo Kolombangara Constituency will be treated as a special case.
“For this constituency, Gizo will have one team and Kolombangara will have one team, making a total of 10 teams participating in the Western Cup next year,” he said.
Ben also revealed plans for a school sports carnival scheduled for June to July next year.
He said awareness programmes will begin around April, when officials will visit schools to prepare students and identify potential players ahead of the major sporting events.
“This is part of our official sporting calendar for 2026 under the Sports Division of the Western Provincial Government,” said Mr Ben, who is also the Provincial Sports Coordinator for Western Province.
Meanwhile, Gizo Town recently claimed the Gizo Kolombangara Constituency Cup title at Ringi after defeating Central Kolombangara in a penalty shootout.
South Kolombangara finished third, while Central Gizo placed fourth.
With the upgraded JFK Stadium in Gizo expected to be officially opened around March next year, the stadium will host the events.
By ULUTAH GINA
Solomon Star, Gizo
