The first FIFA Arena Mini Football Pitch in the Oceania region has been officially opened at AD Patel College in Ba, a landmark development FIFA says will expand access to organised small-sided football in Fiji. The inauguration was attended by FIFA Regional Director for Asia and Oceania Sanjeevan Balasingam, who praised the collective effort behind the project and underlined its broader significance for football development in the country.
“It is a great privilege to be here with you to inaugurate this FIFA Arena mini pitch, the first of its kind in Oceania. Congratulations to everyone who has contributed their time, effort, resources and commitment in making this possible. Projects like this do not happen without the dedication of many people. Like on the pitch, it is a team sport and a team effort,” Balasingam said at the opening. His remarks credited the many local and regional stakeholders involved in delivering the facility at AD Patel College.
Balasingam also noted that Suva Muslim College has completed its own FIFA Arena pitch, meaning there are now two FIFA Arena facilities established in the Oceania region. The AD Patel College opening, however, marks the first FIFA Arena to be officially opened in the region, positioning Ba as the site of FIFA’s initial rollout of this community-focused pitch model in Oceania.
The regional director singled out the Fiji Football Association for its clear strategic direction. He highlighted the FA’s Totolo Futupolo framework, saying it has established a defined development pathway for football in Fiji. The framework has been referenced by FIFA officials as a key driver behind the decision to invest in grassroots infrastructure, signalling alignment between the international body and the national federation’s long-term plans.
Local organisers and school officials were acknowledged during the ceremony, with Balasingam congratulating “everyone who has contributed their time, effort, resources and commitment.” While the opening marks a concrete infrastructure gain in Ba, FIFA and the Fiji FA have framed the project as part of a wider effort to build opportunities for youth participation and to strengthen the domestic football pipeline.
The AD Patel College pitch now joins the recently completed Suva Muslim College facility as the first FIFA Arena installations in Oceania. Together, these two sites represent the initial phase of FIFA’s small-sided pitch programme in the region and provide a testing ground for how such facilities can support school-based and community football activity under Fiji FA’s Totolo Futupolo plan. Further details on community access, programming and any planned roll-out to other provinces have not yet been released.
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