Active From Start, Fong On The Move
Despite succumbing to a knee injury early in his football career, it has not stopped Michael Fong of being involved in sports.
He took up sports administration in football and table tennis and it has helped him stay active, successful and healthy in life to date.
The former Nadroga and Ba rep admitted that football during his playing days in the 70s was much different in many ways compared to today.
“Despite lack of resources, sponsorship and financial support, I was extremely passionate like others in our days about football from as early as six years old,” Fong said.
LIFE
Born and bred in Labasa with maternal links to Namama, Macuata, in Vanua Levu, he is part Gujarati, I-Taukei and Chinese.
He attended Saint Mary’s Primary School and All Saints Secondary School in Labasa where he mostly played football.
His dad, the late Shanti Lal Raniga, a former Labasa football goalkeeper in the 1960’s was also was a Fiji Times first photojournalist based in the northern division.
“As I was growing up, my dad would take me with him to cover all the sports events. I carried his Minolta camera bag. Football and generally sports is in my DNA,” said Fong.
He has three children, two sons and a daughter who is into netball. His son, Lazarus Douglas Fong, played for Namosi at second-fiveeighth in the Skipper Cup Premiership Under-19 final against Nadroga at the ANZ Stadium, Suva last weekend.
FOOTBALL CAREER
Fong tried to play goalkeeper like his dad but it didn’t work.
“I opted to play in the midfield and backline,” said Fong.
His first boot was a Gold Cup brand and he played without shin pads.
“I would find my own way to the training venues and walked back home after. I had to fight for my position as there were several other good players. Discipline and respect were key priorities,” he added.
MENTOR
Former Labasa and national rep Anand Sami, is his good friend, coach and mentor.
He remembers vividly, in 1979, as -16-year-old, Fiji Football Association through Rewa Dairy/Universal Tractors introduced football skills competition at divisional level.
“I represented the Northern division on various occasions and won second place,” he said.
His close rival and national winner was Robert Nicole (Rewa).
“My prizes would include boots, balls, t-shirts, track suits, travel bags and training shorts.
“Dribbling during a football match was prohibited. We played one or two touch football.”
FOOTBALL CLUBS
Growing up in Labasa, he played for Nasea FC and represented Labasa Youth at 16 from 1979 - 1981. When he moved to Suva, he played for Shamrock FC under the Nasinu Football Association.
His mother was transferred to work at P & T (now split Telecom Fiji and Post Fiji) in Lautoka. Fong played for Speedos FC (Waiyavi Stage One) under Lautoka FA. He lived with his sister and brother-in-law at Sigatoka where he played for Korotogo Beach Boys.
During this time, the current Fiji Football Association chief executive officer Mohammed Yusuf was president for Nadroga FA.
Later he moved to Ba in 1987 where played for Fiji Sugar Corporation FC for several years. That same year, he represented Ba, however, due to a major injury, he quit football. His full recovery took five years. Through his paternal links, he also played for Labasa, Suva, Rewa, Lautoka and Ba Gujarati teams.
BEST MEMORY
Best memory was playing as a teenager for Ba team which consisted mainly of FSC FC players such as Isikeli Seva Snr, Ravuama Madigi, Jone Nakosia, Vimal and Julie Sami and Semi Tabaiwalu.
WORSE MEMORY
When he fractured his patella (knee cap) playing in Ba and he was forced to hang his boots due to a major knee surgery which ended his playing career. He continued to support districts such as Labasa, his home team, Ba, his adopted hometown but appreciate and respect other district teams too.
ROLES
He was secretary of the Suva Masters FC, a former president and cofounder of the Suva Table Tennis Association, former treasurer of Fiji Table Tennis Association, and former manager of Nasinu Football Association. While in Tonga he was nominated coach/manager for Tonga National Table Tennis Team to Pacific Games in Samoa 2007.
CAREER
Fong graduated from Fiji Institute of Technology (now Fiji National University) in 1986 with a Diploma in Automotive Engineering.
A year later he got his first employment at FSC Rarawai Mill, Ba as an automotive and locomotive mechanic for eight years.
He later joined Carpenters Shipping in Suva as Fleet Supervisor for couple of years where he engaged in stevedoring, imports, exports, customs duties, fleet maintenance and general haulage.
He then joined two oil companies, Shell Fiji/TOTAL where he worked in Samoa, Tonga, New Caledonia, Thailand, and Singapore. In Melbourne, Australia is where he attained his professional qualifications through Shell Australia, TOTAL France and DNV Singapore.He is engaged in part-time teaching at FNU Samabula campus and USP Statham campus as well. He joined Pernix (Fiji) Ltd in 2014 in the Kinoya Power Station Expansion Project.
This has been the largest and heaviest load on Fiji roads so far as specialized trucks from New Zealand were utilized on this haulage. He is currently self-employed as safety trainer and consultant. A certified Class 3 Petroleum tanker driver trainer, he is the lone Pacific islander to attain such accreditation through the Australian Standards.
PERSONAL INTERESTS
He is an advocate of Congenital Heart Defect (CHD); his first born son was diagnosed of congenital heart defect.
“When my first born baby boy died in my arms due to a congenital heart defect and couldn’t do anything to save him. 21 years after his death, I’m in a self-healing mode,” he said.