by Paul Turner
British High Commissioner to Solomon Islands
Ok, let’s start with the bad news: the Solomons U16 football boys’ team losing 8-0 to New Zealand was – using a great British understatement – disappointing. I was there in the stadium last Sunday, sitting next to the New Zealand High Commissioner, but very much cheering for Solomons. It was hard to watch, I confess. In my youth I was goalkeeper, so I am not without empathy for your young guy between the posts.
Another disappointment: the lack of invitations to the Pacific Island Forum (PIF) which Solomon Islands is hosting in a couple of weeks. We found out last week that the PIF will only be inviting regional members and not non-regional countries such as the United Kingdom as has been the practice in previous years. I can’t hide how perplexed we were in London about that decision, especially as it seems so counterproductive.
Over the last few months, the Solomons Government has done so well in reaching out to new friends (United Arab Emirates; Saudi Arabia; OPEC) and old friends (European Union) to get support for flagship projects such as Bina Harbour. Your country needs a diverse range of friends – be that in Brussels, Dubai, and Jakarta. We all know the reasons behind the deferral of invitations but with non-regional partners uninvited, I only hope – staying with the football theme – it’s not a big own goal for Solomons in terms of future funding from partners and friends, old and new.
Still with football, let’s also celebrate the recent triumphs: your young ladies did you proud last month, winning the OFC Nations Cup for the first time with a 3-2 victory over favourites, Papua New Guinea. Just a week later, the English Lionesses won the European Cup, beating Spain and retaining their European crown. With the stars perfectly aligned, the British High Commission in Honiara hosted a reception for the Solomons ladies’ team as part of a joint celebration.
As most readers know, football holds a special place in the British psyche; England is the home of football. And in recent years, through small projects, the UK has been promoting women’s football in Solomon Islands with the provision of kit and equipment for girls’ clubs and through football exchanges.
But I believe the ladies’ victory goes beyond sport. Football is a means of empowerment for young women and girls in Solomons and the national euphoria and pride on winning the Oceania Cup was felt across the country – an important symbolic moment in a society where women are still asserting themselves in most areas of life.
The author, Fredrik Backman, once wrote, “The only thing sports gives us are moments but what the hell is life apart from moments?” It’s those instances of triumph, heartbreak and drama that resonate and become etched in the collective memory.
The women’s national football victory was ‘a moment’ for Solomon Islands. Your richly diverse, hugely complex archipelago of a country with over 900 islands, multiple languages and ethnic groups has at times since independence, struggled to find a national narrative. On 19 July, the country found a pride and a unity. And the British High Commission was delighted to share in that.
And so onward we go, living with the disappointments and taking strength from our triumphs. Your resilience as a people never fails to impress outsiders like me and in Britain, whilst we might not always agree on everything – including on invitations to the PIF! – you’ll always have a friend. Our shared history has given us a lot in terms of language, culture and outlook…and, of course, football.