Raw talent

YOU have to agree that Fijians are naturally talented with athleticism and it is visible across the world.

For instance let’s take rugby because it is the national sport of Fiji.

Every year there is a new set of players who enter the sevens series and also the Flying Fijians squad. Because Fiji loses a handful of players to lucrative overseas contracts, it makes no difference as new talents take their space immediately. The Top 14 French Rugby Player of the Year was a Fijian, the Aviva Premiership Player of the Year was a Fijian, the Scottish Rugby Player of the Year was also a Fijian.

Along with this, Fijian ruggers also made international teams such as Sevu Reece and Seta Tamanivalu making the All Blacks, couple of players are in the Japanese squad in both sevens and fifteens, Scotland and England rugby sides and many more teams especially in Europe.

Similarly, in rugby league in which majority of the Fiji Bati players are overseasbased and time and time again win several major individual awards.

Fijian wonder boy Roy Krishna also earned a name for himself in the Pacific and New Zealand when he became Phoenix’s highest goalscorer in history and topped the chart in the A-League last season.

This shows what Fijian talent can bring out given the best training, psychology and professionalism.

I believe it is now time to focus on the sports field because it will benefit future sporting events in the Pacific and the world.

RAYNAV CHAND

Nakasi