Vanuatu HF

LATEST NEWS UPDATE Oct - Dec 2021

Umpire Training - Vanuatu HF has been developing a larger group of umpires over the past months. This group has been led by Frank Vira, who has been to a number of Oceania tournaments and received training and support from NZ Umpire Manager Paul Morrison. It is great to see Frank giving back and OHF has provided shirts to officiate in.

During their club leagues a technical bench has been operating and this has provided a new pathway for volunteers as well as positively support the umpires offciating the games.

HISTORY & GOVERNANCE 

Although one of the youngest affiliated Pacific Nation to Oceania Hockey Federation it has had a stellar rise in all aspects of its activities. Hockey is mainly played at Wansmolbag Centre on the outskirts of Port Vila where there is a 3/4 artificial surface. Hockey has been fortunate to have had the benefit of the Australian Voluunteer Program where individuals such as Ross Fraser, Jenny Bowtell, Dashiel Hewitt and Todd Kitto have rotated and spent a period of 12 to 24 months since 2010, helping the Executive develop their organisation, policies, and activities. Although Port Vila is the main centre of hockey, the Development Officers have traveled beyond Port Vila and worked with villages of Tanilui, Epau, Eton, Moso and Tanna Islands. 

VHF have had a very good history in hosting Hockey5 events namely Youth Olympic Games Qualifier and  FIH World Series. Ross Fraser took the first national Men's team to Fiji in 2012 and Vanuatu have been featuring at tregional tournaments since that time. Highlights have been winning the inaugural Oceania Intercontinental Hockey 5s Men's event in 2017 following that up with succesful qualifications of both men and womens teams in 2018 to Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires Argentina. This was an amazing result and a huge adventure for all players and management. Unfortunately the high cost of that trip resulted in VHF making a decision not to compete at the last Oceania Cup but to focus on building a strong governance structure with a long term objectives set in place.

Hook in4 Health is a Sport 4 Development Program funded by the Australian Government and Vanuatu is one of the hockey nations that Oceania HF successfully applied for. As a result in July OHF has employed new staff and  Nasse Maltungtung is now the In Country Co-ordinator while Anna Bangalulu and John Iwiala have been added to the team.

VHF President 2021 : Onis Namu  ( New Board below )