Ousting and kidney day
Coach’s ousting
NINETEEN tournament losses was the price for the ousting of Ben Gollings. A heavy toll on Fiji’s 7s rugby reputation and a costly undertaking by the 7s players individually and as a team to sacrifice a win to enable the changing of the coach.
The loss to Spain in the last tournament just brought to light the vindictiveness of the players to get rid of their coach.
Any local 7s team from Fiji, even with five men could have beaten Spain. That was how glaring the loss was.
I believe it was a systematic move by the players to end their coach’s tenure as Fiji 7s coach.
As always, history has repeated itself. And now we move with the legendary Fijian 7s coach, Ben Ryan’s protégé, Osea Kolinisau as the new Fiji 7s coach. The transition of the Fiji 7s team from losers to winners will be very swift.
A word to the world, the Fiji’s 7s team has not forgotten all those 19 tournament losses. This will begin with the Hong Kong 7s.
A trial by fire that the Fiji 7s team have reserved for themselves. And we will see whether the sacrifice of Fiji’s 7s reputation was worth it?
Gollings was not the problem. I believe he was a good coach. He just never had a chance to prove himself. Brutal honesty could have solved the problem, but that’s another story.
Thank you Gollings and welcome to Fijian politics.
EPELI RABUA Suva
World Kidney Day
YESTERDAY (14/3/24) was World Kidney Day and countries around the world celebrated it with gusto! This is an annual ritual which is repeated at regular intervals.
The intention is to teach humanity the importance of this vital organ and the critical role it plays in one’s healthy living.
Fiji has a high incidence of diabetes and this is directly related to the sedentary lifestyles which people have acquired through modernisation. It is said that you are what you eat!
Therefore, it is important to see what generally our people eat and drink. Junk food and drinks with high salt, sugar, preservatives and other chemicals is the norm.
High-powered advertisements on television screens in our sitting rooms, radios blaring all sorts of gingels and colourfully printed advertisements brainwash the consumers.
Thus incessant demand for processed foods, fizzy drinks and canned foods has altered lifestyles. All these lead to diabetes which affects our kidneys. Death by kidney failure is phenomenal!
Kidney treatment is an expensive exercise and well beyond the reach of the ordinary people.
Only filthy rich can afford this and others have to die painful deaths.
Therefore, this is a battle between the haves and have nots: blaring examples of social injustice.
Tax revenues are an important consideration, therefore, the governments find it impossible to stop multinational companies from pushing their harmful products.
School children are brainwashed into eating and drinking these food/ drink products.
In my view the celebration of World Kidney Day is a sheer sham. No one takes notice of what is preached.
The organisers finish their tasks with the satisfaction that they have done their job because they have been funded by the funding agencies and the World Health Organisation.
In my view this ritual will continue and third world countries such as Fiji will continue to see high incidence of death through kidney failures. It is mind boggling !
DEWAN CHAND
Namadi Heights, Suva