COMMONWEALTH
ONE GAME AT A TIME, SAYS NETBALL CAPTAIN
The national netball team are going to take one game at a time during the Commonwealth Games. Captain Lusiana Rokoura said they have a team which is a mixture of youth and experienced players.
“It has been a long journey,” she said. “We’ve been building up and the Commonwealth Games is an opportunity for us to improve our game and prepare for the Oceania playoffs.”
Rokoura indicated that their immediate goal is to improve on their world rankings. The Fijians are currently ranked 12th, a drop from the 6th placed ranking which they enjoyed after the 1999 Netball World Championship in Auckland, New Zealand. The Fijians are in Pool A where they face Australia, Jamaica, South Africa, Barbados and Northern Ireland.
In an interview with Radio New Zealand, coach Vicki Wilson said they are competing at the Commonwealth Games for the first time since 2006 and the tournament will help them build up to the Oceania Championships, which double as qualification for next year’s World Cup.
SWIMMERS READY
The Fijian swimming team believes their 10-day pre-training at the Gold Coast will soon materialise as they look forward to an exciting Commonwealth Games. Swimmers Taichi Vakasama and Herbert Rabua are competing in the Commonwealth Games for the first time.
Head coach Sharon Smith said, “We have been training very hard at the Griffith University. It’s been a very high intensity training.”