BY RICHARD MENANOPO
Solomon Islands’ historic debut at the 2026 3v3 Floorball World Championship in Madrid, Spain, has placed the country among the emerging nations in the sport after the Basiotos returned home with landmark victories and a top-20 world ranking achievement.
The team’s story was shared through written interview responses and voice notes provided by Floorball Federation Solomon Islands (FFSI) President, coach, trainer and player Adam Olofsson, goalkeeper MacArthur Kumakana and team captain Ricky Fairamoa following their return from Spain last week.
Olofsson described the tournament appearance as a major milestone for Solomon Islands floorball, saying the opportunity to compete at a world championship level was a dream come true.
“It was definitely a dream come true, going to Spain and playing at the World Championship.
“The players had never been outside Oceania before, so it was also something completely new for them,” Olofsson said.
The Basiotos made history as the only Oceania nation at the June 12-14 tournament and recorded memorable victories over Ivory Coast and Hong Kong, including a 9-3 win over Ivory Coast and a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory against Hong Kong in the B-playoff round of 16.
Olofsson said those results proved Solomon Islands can compete against more established floorball nations.
“It showed that we are a team that is difficult to play against and that we can compete against countries with millions more people than us,” he said.
The team also faced some of the world’s strongest nations, including Ukraine, Latvia, Iceland and the USA, with Olofsson saying the experience highlighted areas for improvement.
“We learned that we need to change some tactics when playing against teams like this.
“But these teams have been playing floorball for over 20 years, so we just need to continue developing and start teaching floorball to young kids,” he said.
Despite the tough competition, Solomon Islands finished the tournament with 20 goals, including two goals against Latvia, who went on to finish second overall.
“I am very proud of the performance and the goals we scored throughout the tournament.
“Latvia became second in the tournament, and we scored two goals against them, which was impressive,” Olofsson said.
The performance also saw Solomon Islands ranked among the world’s top 20 nations in 3v3 floorball, a major achievement for a country still developing the sport.
“To be ranked in the top 20 in the world as a small country like Solomon Islands in floorball is a huge achievement.
“We have really put Solomon Islands on the map,” Olofsson said.
Individual performances also stood out, with Olofsson highlighting Justin Mamani’s contribution, while noting him and Captain Ricky Fairamoa both scored eight goals during the campaign.
The tournament has also opened a possible pathway overseas for goalkeeper MacArthur Kumakana, who has attracted interest from Swedish clubs.
“MacArthur’s opportunity to play for a Swedish club is very important for him to grow as a goalkeeper and will also help the national team in the future.
“Sweden has the best floorball league in the world, so seeing five clubs interested in him is well deserved because of all the hard work he has put into training,” Olofsson said.
For Kumakana, representing Solomon Islands at the World Championship was a dream fulfilled.
“It was a dream come true. I always wanted to represent Solomon Islands, but going to Spain and playing in a World Championship was an added bonus,” he said.
Reflecting on the team’s journey, Kumakana said the experience showed the potential of floorball in the country.
“There are levels to floorball, and Solomon Islands is just starting.
“If we continue for more years, we can cause more upsets,” he said.
Captain Fairamoa said carrying the Solomon Islands flag on the international stage was the biggest motivation for the players.
“What motivated us was knowing that we were carrying the Solomon Islands flag onto the international stage,” Fairamoa said.
He said communication and team support were key factors during the campaign.
“We had to communicate and support each other. Communication was one of the things that kept us motivated.”
Following the historic campaign, FFSI is now focused on building on the momentum through school programmes, junior development and expanding 3v3 competitions.
Olofsson said the goal is to introduce more Solomon Islanders to the sport.
“The sport is the fastest team sport in the world and is very fun to play because of its speed.
“It is easy to learn, so don’t hesitate to try it. One day you could be in the national team representing our beloved Solomon Islands,” he said.
The Solomon Islands Basiotos competed at the 2026 3v3 Floorball World Championship in Madrid from June 12-14, marking the country’s first appearance at a global floorball event.
The federation now hopes the historic breakthrough will inspire more young Solomon Islanders to take up the sport and help grow floorball beyond Honiara.
Photo: Supplied
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