HILO — The second annual Hawaii International Futsal Cup (HIFC) held August 9 through 11 did not disappoint as it highlighted the ever-growing popularity of futsal among athletes from Hawaii and Japan.
As predicted by the County of Hawaii Department of Parks and Recreation, in partnership with Hawaii Futsal and the WeGo! Foundation, this year’s event significantly increased in participation based upon positive feedback from last year, with a total of 46 teams entering the competition — more than doubling the number of participants from the previous year to 485 athletes and an additional 13 new soccer clubs.
To accommodate the anticipated increase in numbers, this year’s HIFC tournament was held at three premier venues in Hilo: Edith Kanakaole Stadium, Afook Chinen Civic Auditorium and Pana‘ewa Park.
“It was great a great community event including exciting games, good food and great entertainment during the Aloha Ceremony and Awards Ceremony,” said Hawaii County recreation administer, Lindsey Iyo. “We look forward to more teams joining us, hopefully from different parts of the world. It’s exciting to hear that other teams want to participate in this tournament. We are excited to see this event grow and bring more opportunities for our Hawaii Island youth futsal athletes.”
The participating teams from Hawaii and Japan featured both boys and girls divisions in the U10, U12, U14 and U16 age brackets, and a men’s and women’s open division. Athletes brought their best to the hard courts, competing in a 5v5 format with a goal to finish as division champions while building camaraderie between cultures through a universal game of futsal.
Highlighting the action on the courts, the tournament was truly a celebration of culture and community. The Aloha Ceremony and Awards Ceremony featured captivating performances by taiko drummers, hula and Tahitian performances. These cultural festivities added a unique and energetic atmosphere to the event, bringing together the rich cultural traditions of Hawaii and Japan that honored the aloha spirit of the tournament.
At the end of the three-day futsal tournament, the top division winners were awarded and celebrated for their outstanding performances. In addition, Iyo said a special highlight of the event came at the end of the awards ceremony when the HIFC Japan Tournament Committee, in collaboration with Japan Airlines and DalPonte, announced a unique opportunity for participating athletes and coaches.
Four Hawaii athletes and two coaches were selected to receive an all-expense-paid trip to Japan in March 2025. The Japan trip winners were Lily Kay-Wong (Rush Big Island 2007G), Mikaila Aina (Rush Big Island 2007G), Coach Steve Cootey (Rush Big Island 2007G), Nathan Barrientos (Rush Big Island U14B), Aaron Salai (Rush Big Island U14B) and Coach James Salai (Rush Big Island U14B).
“The trip will take place in March 2025 and will provide the athletes an opportunity to play futsal in Japan, as well as experience cultural activities and exchange,” Iyo said. “Selections were based on a variety of assessments during the tournament which included not only futsal skills, but also sportsmanship and aloha spirit to name a few.”
With the futsal tournament’s growing popularity and the added cultural exchange opportunities, the future looks bright for this annual event that continues to strengthen the bonds between Hawaii and Japan while inspiring young athletes to pursue their passions on an international stage.
“On behalf of the County of Hawaii, we would like to thank our partners — Hawaii Futsal, Hui Kanaka Powawae, WeGo! Foundation, and the HIFC Japan Tournament Committee,” Iyo said. “We would also like to thank the Puna Hongwanji Taiko group and Halau o Mailelaulani for their performances during the Aloha Ceremony on Saturday and Te ‘E‘a o Te Turama for their Tahitian performance during the Awards Ceremony on Sunday.
Mahalo to our sponsors: Japan Airlines, DalPonte, DeLuz Chevrolet, Waiakea Hawaiian Volcanic Beverages, Kind Human, Aloha…Pass It On, Walmart and The Roberts Foundation.
“We are looking forward to next year as we plan for the third annual Hawaii International Futsal Cup tournament in August 2025.”