Using futsal as a springboard

The tiny Pacific island of Tuvalu is hoping to use futsal as a way to strengthen their case for full-time membership of the Oceania Football Confederation

- STEVE MENARY

After a two-year absence, Tuvalu returned to international football at the latest Oceania Football Confederation Futsal Cup – but only after help from abroad.

With the tiny Pacific island unable to secure full membership of the OFC, San Francisco-based tech company DeepAI stepped in with sponsorship to help cover the costs of the 1,100km trip to the 2025 event in Fiji.

“I went to Tuvalu looking for ways our team can help with their digital initiatives and infrastructure,” explains Nicholas Miller, director of business at DeepAI. “I happened to take a walk one day and met Michiel, a Dutch football instructor who was there with his nonprofit [organisation]. We got to talking, and he said that Tuvalu is not a full member of the OFC and hadn’t played [much recently]. I thought that was unfortunate, and made the decision to sponsor them at the last minute so they could participate in the OFC futsal tournament.”