by Ronald Toito’ona
He has done it again with Lautoka Futsal.
Former Solomon Islands Kurukuru player, Wilson Doedoke, claimed the Player of the Match award for the second consecutive game at the Extra Futsal IDC 2025.
Doedoke impressed with his energy, control, and leadership — playing a key role in Lautoka’s opening win of the tournament.
Doedoke delivered a brilliant performance, scoring twice and leading the Sugar City side to another strong result in the tournament.
After his first award in the 2–1 win over Lami Futsal yesterday, he followed up with another standout performance in Lautoka Futsal’s 5–1 victory over Rakiraki Futsal today.
The Lautoka Futsal Captain scored a brace and once again snatched the top honors.
Beyond his tournament performances, Doedoke’s back-to-back accolades reflect the player he has become — a pioneer of the Kurukuru golden generation whose talent and leadership began to shine even as a child.
From his early days at Bishop Epalle Catholic School and the streets of Rove to representing the Solomon Islands Katukatu Under-12 in Fiji in 2006, his remarkable journey shows how dedication and passion shaped the futsal star Lautoka Futsal relies on today.
From Bishop Epalle to the Big Stage
“My journey in football started when I was in primary school at Bishop Epalle Catholic School in Honiara,” Doedoke recalled.
“I grew up at the Rove Police Married Quarters, where my late dad was a police officer at the Royal Solomon Islands Police Maritime Division. My mother was a school teacher at Bishop Epalle back then.”
Inspired by his late father, Timothy Doedoke Sr., who was also a passionate footballer, Wilson’s love for the game began early.
“The main driving force behind my love for football is my late dad. He wanted me and my brothers to excel and be successful in football too.”
He first played with his brothers and neighbours on the dusty streets of Rove, often turning the road leading to Bishop Epalle Catholic School into their own training ground.
His talent soon caught attention — at just 11 years old, he represented the Solomon Islands Katukatu during an Under-12 Championship in Fiji in 2006.
Discovering Futsal
In 2007, his football path took a new turn.
“I decided to switch codes and played futsal. At that time, it was a new and fast-paced game in the Solomon Islands, and people were starting to get interested.
“I saw that I had the potential to play this code — that’s how I started my futsal career.”
By 2012, Doedoke’s skills had earned him a spot on the national U16 futsal team, which toured Australia.
Upon returning home, he was invited to trials with the Kurukuru national team, the Oceania futsal champions.
“I trained and played with the squad, but because of my education commitments, I had to forgo futsal and focus on school. Still, I continued to play in the local leagues in Honiara,” he said.
After completing Form 7 in 2015, Doedoke made a comeback.
“In 2016, I felt free, so I decided to return to the court with Kurukuru and travelled with the team on some tours. Although I didn’t make the World Cup squad that year, the experience strengthened my determination.”
Balancing Books and the Ball
Doedoke is one of the very few Futsal players from Solomon Islands who at times quit the sport to concentrate on education.
In 2017, Doedoke left for the Philippines for further studies, putting futsal on pause.
He later moved to Fiji in 2020 to pursue a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) at the University of Fiji — just as COVID-19 lockdowns hit.
“Because of COVID, we studied online.
“In 2021, I joined some local clubs around Lautoka just to have a run, flex my muscles, and relax while studying. Then I was called to join Lautoka Football Club (FC), and I played with them for two seasons — 2021-2022 and 2022-2023.”
The 30 year-old said, balancing studies and football wasn’t easy.
“During the day, I go to class, in the evening I train, and at night I study. It’s tough, but time management is important — that’s how I cope with soccer and studies.”
As the years went by, Doedoke eventually decided to focus solely on his studies, as his coursework was becoming increasingly demanding.
“But as I progressed with my studies each year, things started to get tougher, so I decided to quit the Lautoka FC soccer team because I felt I needed more time to concentrate on school,” he said.
However, he added that futsal remained a passion he couldn’t let go of.
“So I joined the Lautoka Futsal team for the district competitions,” Doedoke told In-depth Solomons.
A Message to Youths
Doedoke believes sport has been a guiding force in his life — keeping him focused, fit, and grounded.
“Sports is a good thing. It helps you stay fit, mentally and physically, and keeps you away from drinking, drugs, and other bad things,” he said.
To young people aspiring to follow in his footsteps, he has a simple but powerful message.
“Engage in sports — it keeps you disciplined, helps you do good things, and can take you far if you work hard.”
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