Taking baby steps toward the big leagues

Between 1946 and 1958, the US used the Marshall Islands as an atomic bomb testing ground. During that time, 67 atomic bombs were dropped there.

The Marshall Islands signed a Compact of Free Association with the United States in 1983 and gained independence in 1986, when the Compact agreement came into force. The Republic of the Marshall Islands is now a sovereign nation.

"There's obviously nothing to hide from that because it's part of their culture, it's part of the history," Owers told the BBC of the American connection. "There's a fully functioning US military base in Kwajalein. It's part of their identity and, because it's very heavily US cultured, there is a lot of interest in sports such as baseball and basketball.

"But now with football, or soccer, because that has grown in the States, it has also grown on the Marshall Islands. The federation wants to eventually become a FIFA member. They don't just want to be playing against local countries, they want to be part of a bigger program."

Owers, who played soccer semiprofessionally, plans to travel again from England to the Marshall Islands early in 2024. It's Step 2 and a work in progress until he has a team to coach.

"I can't wait to get back," he says.

Agencies via Xinhua