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This article was written for the Marshall Islands Soccer Federation. To check it out on their website, please visit https://rmi.soccer/2024/02/10/ratak-cup-is-a-success/ The inaugural edition of the Ratak Cup took place in the Marshall Islands on February 1st, with Rainok taking home the title following a 2-0 win over Majuro in the final. The members of the winning team received a monetary prize in addition to something vital for the growth of the game in the Marshall Islands: bragging rights. The idea of the Ratak Cup started when Justin Walley, a football journeyman who despite English heritage has founded a Latvian Club and coached the Matabeleland National Team of ConIFA, came to the Marshall Islands as a volunteer press and communications director. Walley knew competition is exactly what the island needed. The Marshall Islands opened up the Marshall Islands Soccer Federation with a clear goal in mind: receive membership in OFC, CONCACAF, or AFC. The Marshall Islands currently stand as the only member of the United Nations that doesn't field a FIFA endorsed National Team. Walley came to the Island to help the Marshall Islands take the next step towards membership. Walley’s expertise in communications helped gain publicity towards the story and his footballing mind was on full display as he organized the Ratak Cup. “The tournament was actually my idea because I felt there was a need to have some competition, because nobody likes losing. Everybody likes winning. That creates a desire to win more, or to put a defeat right. Or to learn from defeat. To create competition. Football is never going to take off here if it’s just a friendly kickabout,” stated Walley. The Ratak Cup’s senior edition boasted a total of 4 teams consisting of 6 teams each. The rosters were as follows: Majuro All Stars: Cullen, Tuitena, David, Jojo, Justin, ‘Tuvalu’ Faiana Delap FC: Soji, Non, Reggie, Charles, Nevan, Sam Majuro FC: Kairos, Tony , Sajid, Junior, Watanabe, Viktor Rainok FC: Oscar, Gabino, Inni, Ming, Immanuel, Rudy Following the tight group stage games, Rainok squared off against Majuro in the final and were victorious. The player of the tournament was Kairos of Majuro All Stars, while Tuitena took home the golden boot after bagging seven goals including a hattrick in the bronze medal game. The Ratak Cup was presented by Unrepresented Sports, a media platform highlighting the best of the best of sporting events that go under the radar. The Cup’s other sponsors included player of the tournament sponsor, Transferta Magazine - a football magazine covering the intricacies of Italian football from Non-League to Serie A, Diego Magazine, Total Football Analysis, and The Gaffer Magazine. The tournament was deemed as a success by all those who competed. The players felt a true sense of competition, something that has been lacking on the island. They also got a true gauge for if they have what it takes for the top level with a top level footballing-mind in Justin Walley there to watch. Wally was very pleased with how the Ratak Cup went. “I think it went very well. We had 26 players involved. It was very competitive. No team ran away with it. No players really dominated. There were better players, but nobody really dominated. It was very successful. The guys enjoyed it,” said Walley. Following the Senior Cup, Walley organized a Junior version of the Ratak Cup with over 50 kids playing in it. The event was another success and will help set the foundation for soccer in the Marshall Islands for years to come. Additionally, Walley went out to local schools and talked to Physical Education teachers on how to implement soccer within their curriculums. 8 new soccer coaches were certified to be able to deliver soccer training sessions. One of the various schools Walley attended was Majuro Middle School where he taught students how to properly head the ball and taught them more about the beautiful game. Walley’s commitment to teaching the youth saw him teach a grand total of 139 students in a single day. Walley tweeted on X, “Can confidently say guest coaching 139 kids PE at 2 different schools for 3 hours in the nonstop 30 degrees midday sun was one of the most challenging things I’ve done for some time. Sweat in my eyes, sunburn, dehydrated, exhausted. It was brilliant.” Perhaps most importantly, Walley was able to sign off on a donation of equipment to the Public Schools System with balls, cones, bibs, and goals which can be used for school coaching. As for the Marshall Islands Soccer Federation, if granted membership to FIFA, the country would become the 4th in smallest land mass amongst member countries, sitting right beneath the likes of Macau, Bermuda, and San Marino. The Marshall Islands would also become the least visited country in the world to have a FIFA National Team. The country currently attracts 6,100 annual visitors, right behind fellow Pacific Islander countries of Nauru and Tuvalu. No matter what happens, the push for Marshall Islands to become a FIFA-member is all for a great cause. The attention drawn to the Islands have increased awareness about climate change that is affecting the Islands. “We are hugely ambitious and want to provide opportunities to Marshallese people, promote our culture and raise awareness of the challenges we face,” said Lloyd Owers. As for the Ratak Cup, it proved to be a brilliant way to introduce competitive soccer to the Islands and take their first steps at building a team fit for FIFA. The competitiveness of the sport is growing rapidly thanks to the initiative of the Ratak Cup. The Marshall Islands Soccer Federation will be sure to implement Walley’s ideas for the coming months as they continuously prepare and navigate the path towards becoming a member of FIFA. About the Author: Chris Dailey is an 18 year old American journalist currently attending Wall Township High School in New Jersey. Chris has interviewed over 250 professional athletes for his sports media company, The Sports Court, and works for semi-pro club, FC Monmouth. Chris enjoys writing about the untold stories in sports and has an immense passion for Soccer. Chris will be attending college this fall where he plans to study within the field of communications.
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