A new futsal court at AD Patel College in Ba will be officially opened tomorrow, Saturday, March 14, marking the latest step in Fiji’s push to expand grassroots football infrastructure. The facility is the product of a partnership between FIFA, the Fiji Football Association (Fiji FA) and AD Patel College, with the school funding the court base and FIFA supplying and installing the artificial turf.
Assistant Minister for Youth and Sports Aliki Bia and FIFA Regional Director for Asia and Oceania Sanjeevan Balasingam will officiate the 11am ceremony, officials said. Their attendance underscores FIFA’s direct engagement with the schools and communities that the global FIFA Arena initiative is targeting. Students, teachers, football officials and members of the Ba community are expected to join the launch.
The AD Patel College court is part of FIFA’s Arena programme, a legacy initiative championed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and announced at the 75th FIFA Congress in Paraguay. The programme aims to deliver safe, accessible mini-football pitches worldwide, with a stated target of installing at least 1,000 mini-pitches across FIFA’s 211 Member Associations. FIFA has emphasised that these pitches are designed not only for sport but as community hubs supporting youth development, education and inclusion.
Fiji FA chief executive officer Mohammed Yusuf said the new facility will play an important role in developing young football and futsal players, providing students with a safer, modern environment to learn and enjoy the game. The court will feed into broader local initiatives: earlier this year Fiji FA launched school-based futsal leagues for under-17 and under-19 boys and girls, and the association has been expanding competitions to include academies in Labasa and Ba, signalling a coordinated effort to pair facilities with competitive pathways.
The Ba opening follows a series of recent community court projects across the country, including multipurpose courts inaugurated in Tuatua and Lautoka in February. Those projects, financed through a mix of government and local investment, similarly emphasised youth development and community cohesion. Officials say the FIFA Arena pitches differ by being purpose-built for mini-football with artificial turf and a specific focus on creating regular, structured play opportunities for children and teenagers.
Beyond match play, organisers expect the AD Patel College court to serve wider social objectives: encouraging daily physical activity, providing inclusive spaces for boys and girls to play together, and offering a focal point for local coaching, mentoring and school programmes. With Fiji’s growing interest in futsal at school level, the new court is positioned as both an immediate benefit for AD Patel College and a longer-term asset for western division youth development.
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