Tough competition for Easter cricketers
CRICKET Fiji is expecting a tough competition as the Easter Cup Championship heads to the final days this week.
Tournament director Sitiveni Rokoro said all teams had been performing exceptionally well in the past days.
“The players portrayed a high level of skills in all the games they played in, starting from the first day,” he said.
“This has contributed to the competitiveness for the top four places in the two pools to see who goes into the cup quarter-finals next week.
“The skills level of players from the island associations continues to amaze officials. This is comparing with the National Association Cup that was held in October 2020.
“This is an indication of the development work Cricket Fiji had invested in when hosting Bula Bash cricket straight after the lifting of restrictions of sports during COVID-19 last year.”
Rokoro added straight after the tournament, trials for national team will be open to whoever is interested.
“Cricket Fiji hopes to hold the national trials on Saturday April 10, straight after the final of the Easter Cup on Friday next week.
“We will select a training squad of 25 to prepare for the East Asia Pacific World Cup qualifier in Japan in October.”
The final will be held at Albert Park in Suva on Friday.
VINESH Prasad made a brilliant bounce back to take out the South Seas Club Snooker Tournament sponsored by General Machinery for the Anil Singh and Narayan Taman Trophy.
The M Hanif Investments sales representative went down to giant-killer Abdul Zaved shockingly 2-0 in the opening match of the group stage but then reset his focus picking up his game. Prasad, a former Fiji B Grade champion, defeated Pita Tevita 3-1 in the final. Tevita surrendered in the fifth frame after Prasad made a brilliant highest break of 33 points.
In the semi-finals, Tevita was down 2-0 against Zaved but came back to win 3-2. Prasad beat Shalend Scotty 3-1 after losing the first frame.
In the quarter-finals, Zaved created the biggest upset of the three-day event beating former Fiji champion Epeli Bua in three straight sets. Scotty upset Vikrant Sharma 3-1, Tevita downed Mohammed Imran 3-1 while Prasad beat Aman Khan 3-0.
Prasad said he had to sacrifice his family time during the Easter long weekend to participate in the tournament.
He said the sacrifice paid dividends by winning the tournament. “This win is dedicated to my two young daughters, Anishka and Nidhi,” Prasad said.
“It has been a long time that I have tasted victory in a major tournament. My sponsor and coach Philip Gock was by my side.
“I will be participating in the upcoming National Ranking Championship in Suva later this month.” South Seas Club snooker co-ordinator Roneil Sami said the upset results were good for the sport. Sami said the tournament was a success. He said the sponsor had agreed to make the tournament an annual event. “Two of the South Seas Club members, Zaved and Pita reached the final meaning the standard of snooker at the club is gradually on the way up,” Sami said. “The members are showing more interest in the sport and are practising regularly.”
Sami said more bigger tournaments would be held this year.