Sports Review

ighty Boy Of

Cricket

S Fiji Cricket Association un onsciously slapped the Fiji lugby Union in the face when Nacanieli Uluiviti to dn the team which is now on in New South Wales. Two years ;he rugby moguls decreed that Iti would not go overseas again a rugby team. course, Uluiviti—Nat as he is n to his friends —was not on iwn, but the FRU firmly be l he was one of the “naughty” of that 1957 tour of New Zea- Nat, in his own quiet way, set 0 prove that he was not the

ter alleged.

th cricket ability above the ,ge, he showed that he was go ) be one of the first men chosen. appointment as 1960 cricket in was well received through riji, for apart from his ability is shown himself to be a keen nt of the game, and a good r, that happened on that 1957 was that Nat was inclined to his independence, to the dis- Drt of one or two who thought Fijians should be subservient 1 times, vever, Nat had gone to Auck- University for three years, and Plunket Shield honours for

Auckland province, plus a tour of NZ with the Fiji cricket team In 1954—when he was still an Auck land University student.

His attitude to the game is re freshingly Fijian, in spite of having been trained in the orthodox approach to the game. In Fiji they were saying that New South Wales cricket fans were in for something out of the ordinary.

The team received a royal wel come in NSW, with much made of their yaqona (with some of the usual assumptions that it was alcoholic) and sulus. But bad weather dogged them in their initial games.

Will It Be Too

Little, Too Late?

From Norman Baxter, in Suva IT’S on again. Fiji is talking about sending an athletics and box ing team to the 1960 Olympic Games at Rome. In the usual fashion the question of raising funds is again being left until very late. When officials are questioned they are inclined to be coy, and reply, “We have plans”.

The “plans” obviously boil down to a bite on the public, a polite sort of blackmail, an approach to those well off with the pointed sug gestion, “you can’t let Fiji down”.

Lack of finance almost prevented Fiji’s participation in the 1956

Olympic Games at Melbourne, the 1957 Malayan Merdeka Games and the 1958 Commonwealth Games at Cardiff. Only last minute public donations enabled the 1956 and 1958 teams to get away, while in 1957 Malaya, remembering the part Fiji’s soldiers had played in fighting the Communists for four years paid the piper.

Perhaps, after the 1956 and 1958 efforts, it would be dogmatic to say that Fiji won’t be represented at Rome. But unless the athletic officials move quickly there will be a final hurry and bustle as in the past.