Dots on the world map, the Marshall Islands remains the only UN-recognized country in the world without a national football team and without a national league.

This small cluster of tropical islands in the Pacific Ocean, halfway between Australia and Hawaii, remains an exotic destination for tourists who can afford expensive transportation costs, with the peculiarity that it takes more than 40 hours for a traveler from Europe to get there and many plane changes.

These islands are famous not only for their beauty or for being the center of bloody conflicts between the Japanese and Americans during World War II, but also for being used by the US for 12 years (1946-58) as a nuclear test. place, the consequences of this reckless use of radiation are still affecting the lives of their inhabitants today, almost seven decades later.

The reason why fundraising efforts have been launched in recent years to build the infrastructure that will allow for a national championship and the creation of a FIFA-sponsored national team is not just about the joy of the game. and the need to stay active in the football of children who, as they grow up, cannot find a way to continue what they have learned by kicking the ball around the school yard. The main goal of people trying to put the Marshall Islands on the football map is exploiting the popularity of the sport around the worldwhich will allow the inhabitants of this Lilliputian country to report their problem and raise awareness of the world community.

What is this huge problem? Changing of the climate. If temperatures continue to rise at current rates, it is almost certain that most of the islands will sink within the next decade and the danger will be visible. cover 40% of the capital’s buildings from the sea Mazuro. The expansion of water develops into a particularly disturbing phenomenon, and already part of the soil begins to disappear under it.

This small state with a population of 60 thousand people is on a par with very touristy Kiribati and Tuvalu. It consists of five coral islands and 29 atolls, the most famous of which is the (uninhabited) island of Bikini, which gave its name to women’s swimwear after becoming a key nuclear test site for several years.

Help is needed

The projects needed to protect the islands from rising sea levels due to climate change are many, and external assistance is urgently needed to secure most of the necessary funds to implement them. The residents’ meager financial resources are not enough to save them.

“The ocean is invading our backyards and destroying our land. Climate change is a daily concern for all of us here on the islands. We see it every day, but our problem is that only we see it. Thanks to football, we will be able to see it for the whole planet. With games, it will be easier for us to advertise this when we travel to other countries or when fan visitors come to our islands. I hope people realize by playing football that climate change is affecting our islands now, but tomorrow it will also affect their own backyard,” he says. Shem Levya local businessman who took it upon himself to carry out an ambitious plan to create a league and national team.

His efforts began with the initial intention of providing an outlet for his son and his friends who, as teenagers, did not have the opportunity to become more involved in football in a country heavily influenced by the American way of life, which was dominated by sports such as rugby, baseball and football. basketball.

Representing the Marshall Islands at four Olympic Games in athletics, swimming, taekwondo and weightlifting filled their residents with pride, but it was clear that this could not attract everyone’s attention.

Along the way, Mr. Levy realized that in addition to the joy of playing for children, the power of football can open a huge door. To do this, his vision was to grow and lead to the creation of a national league with six football teams, thanks to which the issue could be highlighted and made aware of the world community. That is why he decided to slow down, so that this hurried and sketchy business, which he conceived for the sake of the pleasure of the game, could be done methodically and skillfully, even if there were delays.

Hiring a technocrat to carry out an ambitious plan was a one-way street. Mr Levy and his colleagues eventually chose Lloyd Owers, Oxford City’s under-23 team manager in England, who had worked at other minor English clubs such as Mansfield and Colchester.

teletrainer

Remarkably, since the day he took on this task, Mr. Owers has never been to the Marshall Islands or personally seen any of his employers. Due to the huge distance, he works from … home. He moves all the threads from England and technology, works as if he were in the very heart of the Pacific Ocean, tens of thousands of kilometers from his office.

“We literally build everything from scratch. I had to google to see where the Marshall Islands are. I had no idea where it was on the map when I accepted the offer. Now, with the help of technology, I can visualize everything, view Google maps, and see everything I need to see as if I were there. I looked at beaches, hotels, small plots of land, wherever there is grass and you can play football. I try to fix everything,” he says.

Some significant financial support has already been secured for the infrastructure, with mostly island financiers now living in the US. From there, there was also interest from footballers wanting to move to the Pacific center to staff the teams that were being formed. Some sponsors were found and some technocrats were hired to help Mr. Owers’ efforts from a closer distance, such as one in charge of the marketing department and another in charge of communications.

Even if not a single official football match is played in the Marshall Islands, the success of the venture is already considered a foregone conclusion from the point of view of its main goal. As soon as the efforts became known, they immediately attracted the attention of the international media, and with a tribute like the one you are reading now, a significant part of the football fans were informed as to why this whole story began.

The effects of climate change remain very threatening for this small country in the middle of the Pacific, but at least this fight to save everything that can be saved will be fought with the help of many more people from all corners of the planet, and not just from 60,000 inhabitants. Marshall Islands.