Basiotos Take Key Lessons from Tough AOFC Opener
The Solomon Islands Men’s National Floorball Team, the Basiotos, have gone down in their opening Group F fixture of the AOFC World Floorball Championships Qualifiers, suffering a 22–1 defeat to world No.12-ranked Philippines on Tuesday at the ASB Centre in Wellington, New Zealand.
Despite the loss, player-coach Adam Olofsson was pleased with his side’s performance against a strong opponent made up of professional players and stars of the sport.
“It’s always tough in the opening match, especially against one of the highest-ranked teams in the tournament, with players competing in the world’s best league in Sweden. We were honoured to play them and learned a lot from today,” he said.
“We had plenty of shots on goal, about 29, and I am very happy with the bravery the boys showed. We also came away with a goal, which is historic for our country,” he added.
Only in its third year since being established in the Solomon Islands, Tuesday’s match was also a historic moment for the Basiotos, marking their debut on the international stage.
The Basiotos will look to bounce back in their second match on Wednesday evening when they face hosts New Zealand at 5pm local time.
By TIMOTHY INIFIRI JNR
Solomon Star, Honiara
