Fiji Expects To Do Well In

Many Fields At The Games

From Norman Baxter in Suva Fiji sports officials are confident that Fiji will put up a strong fight in most sports at the Suva Games, and that in athletics, boxing, swimming and table tennis it should do par ticularly well.

THE Fiji athletics team has a good ch?nce of taking out several medals because they will be used to the track, even though weather has hampered training. Aspirants for selection in the team have been training hard.

In the men’s track events Fiji has a wealth of sprinters, but Olympic and Commonwealth Games man, Sitiveni Moceidreke, is a doubtful starter because of a spiked ankle.

In the distance events, coaching has brought to light hitherto unknown talent, and the final trials are expected to see several runners return good times.

Viliame Liga (javelin) and Mesulame Rakuro (discus and shot) have had a wealth of overseas experience.

Mesulame has taken part in two Olympic Games and three Commonwealth Games. Viliame was in the 1962 Commonwealth Games and has had several seasons in Queensland.

In the jumping events Fiji is not so well off, but again contenders have been improving rapidly under coaching. The pole vault, hurdles, hammer throw and steeplechase are not normally included in Fiji programmes, and it is difficult to assess Fiji’s chances.

Three women stand head and shoulders above all other contenders —Ana Ramacake and Maca Vakalala (1962 Comonwealth Games) in the sprints, and Turukawa in the shot, discus and javelin, With the exception of the high jump, pole vault and perhaps the 400 and 1,500 metres, Fiji should be well up in the men’s events.

The lack of information about women athletes in other territories makes it difficult to assess the Fiji women’s chances, but it seems reason able to suggest that they should do well, Soccer T _..., , * n S r°^ ce r’, s team should have a useful blend of experience and youth, well able to battle with the New Caledonia team, which must start favourites. , e return of J. I. Lai and Vmod [r a I ] ot related) from NSW, where they played for a year, will strengthen team considerably. Both players toured NSW in 1961, and L I. Lai pluyed for Fiji as far back as 195*..

L Warner, who has had experience of soccer in England, looks certain to be selected. (Over)

Fiji’s rugby team will be weakened by the loss of several players to English Rugby League.

"Old hands” still playing good rugby include Jo Saukuru, a prop forward, Tomasi Naidole a clever centre, Eremasi Lovodua, a match winning winger in his day, Nemesio, halfback, Inoke Tabualevu, an attack ing five-eighths and a brilliant goal kick, Nacanieli Nabaro, once a fine lineout forward, and Jone Tabaiwalu, a tough lock, who can last out 80 minutes of hard rugby.

Fiji boxing officials are confident their team will do well.

Maiula Lasarusa, who went to Perth and was never really fit there because of an illness, has been boxing well since his return and recently knocked out Malcolm Burnell, of Sydney. Moses Evans, a bronze medal winner at Perth, is expected to do well among the light-middleweights.

Among the light - heavyweights, Josefa Tukana could easily be the winner. At Perth he gave a much more experienced boxer from Scot land considerable trouble for the first two rounds.

A promising middleweight is Cama Tuimasi, who has only been boxing for a year. Welterweights Sainivalati Cawa and Josefa Tusoba are strong contenders for places in the team.

Of the heavies, two policemen, Peniasi Kali and Veramu, stand out, and whoever is in the team may take a medal.

Swimming

Much more organised swimming in the last 12 months has given Fiji swimming officials high hopes that the Colony will gain a few medals.

At the first Games trial, the police team recorded 1 min. 58.9 sec. for the 4 x 55 yds. relay, which is a good time by any standards.

But over the longer distance of 4 x 110 yds. no team has recorded anything like a proportionate time.

At a recent carnival, Sefanaia Koroi, a contender for a place in the Games team, swam the 220 yds, breaststroke in 3 min. 11.9 sec.

Marika Sau, a policeman, has done the 110 yds. backstroke in 1 min. 25.3 sec.

Among the women, Adi Winikiti has done the 440 yds. freestyle in 6 min. 50.6 sec., and Anareti Ranadi recorded 1 min. 19.3 sec. for the 110 yds. freestyle.

Under an American coach, Mr.

Tom Hill, the US Vice-Consul in Fiji, the Fiji indoor basketball squad has made good progress.

Mr. Hill thinks Fiji has a chance, but it will meet strong opposition from New Caledonia and American Samoa.

As indoor basketball in Fiji is

played predominantly by Chinese, most of the Colony’s representatives will be Chinese. Cliff Hoy may be the only European and Terio Vaka tawa the only Fijian.

With several players of almost the same standard, the Fiji table tennis selectors named 12 men and six women to take part in trials before choosing their teams of four men and two women.

Table tennis was firmly established in Fiji six years ago, and with intense competition each winter the standard of play has improved rapidly. Those who have been overseas have lifted

their play.

Tennis Fiji’s tennis team is a mixture of overseas players with wide ex perience, and local men and women who have done well in Fiji title play.

B. Morgan, the No. 1 man, won the Fiji open singles in the last two sea sons, and is in peak form. K. Ladd, runner-up to Morgan in 1961, is a former member of the New South Wales squad, and is capable of play ing top-class tennis.

Two others, Rahimzullah and Sat yanand, have dominated Indian tennis for the last three seasons.

Fiji’s four women players, Miss Fay Blomfield, Dr. Annie Lowe, Mrs.

June Carver and Mrs. A. Connolly have had plenty of experience. The first three are winners of champion ships in Fiji.

Women's Basketball The women’s basketball team was the first named and it had a good blend of age and youth, and a hard core of experience. Three of the team. Anarieta Vakalala. Lucy Mar. and Ruci Koroi, toured New Zealand with a Fiji basketball team in 1958.

Fiji expects its strongest opposition will be from Western Samoa.

Volleyball

In volleyball, Fiji is merely "flying the flag”, for, as host territory, she felt bound to enter in each sport.

Volleyball is played but little, and midway through July there was not even an organised body of any sort to conduct the game.

Then a Suva Association came into being, and after negotiations with Nadi it was decided to meet towards the end of the month to form a Fiji Association, which will barely be affi liated with the Fiji Amateur Sports Association in time for the Games.

As in most other sports, those in terested in volleyball do not know how they measure up with players in other territories.