The Oceania Football Confederation women’s U-16 football championship has been postponed indefinitely by the Confederation’s Executive Committee due to the measles outbreak in a number of Pacific Island countries.

The tournament was scheduled for next month in Tahiti but the OFC Executive Committee has decided that the health and safety of all participating teams is paramount, consequently the need to postpone the tournament.

“OFC Executive Members and the entire OFC administration are determined to put health and safety first and despite the considerable financial and logistical impacts associated with the postponement,” the OFC Executie Committee stated in a media release.

According to the OFC, the decision was made by the Executive Committee in consultation with the Tahiti health authorities.

The Tahiti health authorities have recommended that all travel to French Polynesia by travellers with unknown vaccination status be cancelled. 

“The decision was made following new advice provided by health authorities in Tahiti regarding the risks associated with the spreading of the measles virus across the Pacific, and recommendations to cancel travel to French Polynesia in case of a person’s vaccination status are not known,” added the OFC media release. 

The OFC said postpone of the tournament will give time to all the participating teams and officials to meet the recommendations of the Tahiti health authorities in relation to vaccination requirements. 

“The OFC General Secretariat and Fédération Tahitienne de Football will work together to secure a suitable date for hosting the OFC U-16 Women’s Championship in 2020.”