All the hype at the Cokes

Seeing the drama unfold at the Coca Cola Games every year is certainly a good experience. Every year we, as spectators, get to see new things whether it be new track suits, colored track shoes, new cheers, new rivalries being formed, start of a lifetime friendship for some, the different volunteers, different ways of celebrating victory and even different types of food. 

But this year there was something that we do not get every year. It was the renovated stadium! Everything looking posh and shiny. Now the build up the Games was also different this year with no firm favorites declared for any events. Then there was the factor of everyone coming to Games having done their preparations on grass tracks, which made a equal field for competition for schools coming in from far and wide.

 As a photographer, I was able to take a lot pictures over the two days of almost everything that transpired; the jumps, the throws, relays and the sprints. So I actually made a podcast out of 15 photos.
  

This entry is in relation to a previous entry  on my experience at the Coke Games some weeks back. It is actually a podcast of a collection of pictures throughout the Games which I thought could be shared to depict a story to all.

The link to my podcast is:  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvLsMPYx99Q

  

Women in sports

Fijian Women are not exposed to similar types of sporting opportunities as their male counterparts are. For a long time women have been living in the shadows of men when it comes to sports as men have always been provided with the first opportunity in any sports. 

The only sport where it can be said that there is balance in terms of opportunities between males and females is athletics with scholarships being offered every year for both genders to go and make a name for themselves overseas. Former Yat Sen Secondary Milika Tuivanuavou and most recently Adi Cakobau's Ana Kaloucava are two athletes who currently are on scholarships. 

Milika Tuivanuavou                         Source: Athletics Oceania

Volleyball player Agatha Gibbons was also awarded an overseas scholarship when Volleyball Fiji was getting serious about the sport some years back.

Agatha Gibbons                                                                          Source: NMMI

So it was somewhat clear that looking for opportunities such as getting scholarships to go overseas or having regular international games and participating for composure while being a sportswoman was really hard especially when you have more priority given to men in sports.

Enter Netball Fiji! Having difficulties to be able to secure sponsors for regional and international competitions is a thing of the past now that Pearl South Pacific Resort has come forward with a sponsorship of $0.5 million and signed a 3-year contract with Fiji Netball. 

Source: FijiLive

The sponsorship could not have come at a better time with the Pacific Netball Series and U21 World Cup coming up with the Netball World Cup in two year's time.

Source: Fiji Times

Netball players will not have to raise funds in order to participate as they can now only focus on their training and playing their hearts out as it is solely their sport.

The whole nation can now support and hope that the Fiji Pearls show the nature of their talents.  

Meeting a credible movie maker

The chances of meeting someone very creative yet in a quite simple way is slim but I have been lucky enough to meet, someone who I would like to class as, one of the best video makers that I seen.

I was able to meet Saleem Reshamwala, also known as Kid Ethnic, who creates videos for the Beat Making Lab duo of Pierce Freelon and Stephen Levitin.  

   

In one of my earlier posts I had looked at the role of the two; Freelon and Levitin, in setting up the Beat Making Lab here in Fiji but Saleem plays the role of making short films of the time that the Beat Lab team spends in any country.

Saleem has been doing the same for the countries that the team has visited so far so, working with people from different countries in making short films which in turn gives a sort of video evidence about what the team  actually does on their trips. Some places the team has toured include Congo, Panama and Senegal.  

  

While having a small chat with Saleem I found out that he only he did not make use of any major software to create the videos that he has. He actually managed to make all most of his videos straight off his travel bag which is quite impressive. Adding to Saleem's creative ability is his down to earth nature mixing around with people as if he has known them for a very long time.

Saleem has, in one way or another, contributed to the success of the Beat Lab so far and PBS should be commended for supporting such a course whereby people from countries all around the world are now being taught the art of beat making. 

Things students of today go through.

A number of students today face problems in school and in their general lives. There are many negative factors that affect the lives of students today no matter which level they are in. And surprisingly a lot of these factors usually evolve from the personal surroundings of where students come from.   

Mainly these problems are a direct result of family problems, peer pressure, stress from school work, relationships, drugs and the list goes on.

Problems from home usually affects students drastically as a considerable amount of time is spent on the situation at home and this adds to the stress levels of students.

Peer pressure can be both positive and negative but in today's world it is mostly negative as students are easily influenced by their "so-called" friends to do other things that are of no use, whether it be skipping classes or starting to or drinking alcohol rather then completing schoolwork.

Students skipping classes.                                               Source: Google Images 

Extra load of schoolwork in terms of assignments and assessments can also be a source for stress students as not all students have the same capability to be on par with the rate of learning that is being taken place.

Students stressing out.                                          Source: College Magazine

Being in relationships in schools, something very common in Fiji, can lead to poor performance of students as well if their ability to prioritize things is absent. It easily leads to students being taken off road and into other ventures such as drugs and even suicide at times.

Then we have the major factor of alcohol and drugs that affects more than half the student population in Fiji. With the this problem being mainly present in the Central Division there have been programs launched that look to fight this issue is related to the issue of sexual abuse whose numbers have also been on the rise. 

Source: Google Images

Addressing such issues has been embedded into the working descriptions of school counselors, police officers, education officers and other relevant authorities as tackling these problems is getting tougher day by day.

A take on South Indians

The Indian Students' Association at my University held their Cultural Night a week back and a group of South Indian boys took it on themselves to perform the traditional dance item of "Tirikutu Naach". Now anyone who is not a South Indian or does not follow the culture closely, will have no idea what it all means.

To start, South Indians originate from the south of India which  is almost 20% of India. Now the only thing that South Indians are famously known for is their food. People from all over the world have a taste for South Indian food with South Indian restaurants visible almost in all corners of the world. 

South Indian food.

Most South Indians are bound to be of more of a dark complexion. It is usually quite easy to figure out if a person is South Indian by their funny nature and loud voices. 

Group of South Indian boys.

The South Indian culture has four different languages that can be spoke; namely Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. 

Another thing that South Indians are known for is being religious. Apart from being religious, South Indians can portray some of their religious stories through dances like Bharatanatyam, a dance usually performed by females and is world famous, and then you have the "Tirikutu Naach", a dance very famous in Fiji and is  performed by males who dress up like females.

Bharatanatyam dancers.

The "Tirikutu Naach" is usually a dance that can tell people different stories about Kings and Queens. There is one "Mantri", someone who dresses up somewhat like a clown whose job is to keep the audience entertained throughout the dance.

The "Mantri" in action at the Cultural Night.

Performing such a dance require thorough preparation as there is a need to know the dance moves, the hymns that are supposed to be sung, the make and clothing for those members who are to show cast the different Goddesses and the most important thing is of knowing what particular story to tell the audience and the way it has to be told. 

Now this brings me back to the Cultural Night that was organised at the University with a group of boys opting to perform a "Tirikutu Naach".  

The group chose to depict a short story whereby four queens decide to go play outside.

The queens in action.

Dressing up.

Getting dressed was quite the scene but watching the so-called queens dance was something else altogether.

Dressing up.

It was really amazing to see the way in which this group of boys managed to pull off the performance with relative ease and the fact that they still have their cultural values still intact.  

The group after their performance.

My Cokes 2013 Experience

Every year we all get to see new things at the Coca Cokes. For me this year was totally different as I was actually part of a media team that covered the two day event. So there were somethings that I was going to experience that had a bearing on this year's Coke Games' experience.

Schools at the Opening Ceremony.

First of all was the prediction of the winners of this year's Games with competition expected to be tough especially with the polished new facilities. All schools had prepared themselves on grass tracks so there was no excuse for them to fall short of the big Suva schools. With new winners to be named for the sprint events and the two defending champions to defend their titles, it was worth every cent for anyone and everyone who converged at the grounds over the two days.

Being a frequent spectator at the annual event, I had billed schools from outside of Suva to do the most damage with preparation levels of all participating schools being on a equal playing field.

And damage it was, with Jasper Williams High School working away with the girls' division for the first time after the title had been in Sawani for 12 long years. Marist Brothers High School managed to defend their title by withstanding tough competition from Suva Grammar, Xavier, Natabua and QVS.

Athletes of Jasper Williams High School

Benaminio Maravu and Sisilia Seavula were crowned the sprint champs for 2013 after they won both the sprint events.

Benaminio Maravu

Injuries, as always, was part of the Games yet again with plenty athletes being injured during and after their events. Some athletes like Elonoa Sailosi had been injured prior to the Games which hindered a 100% performance from the queen of Sawani although she still managed to grab two silver medals while being in a injured state.

Sisilia Seavula and Elenoa Sailosi

Cheering gets better each year with parents and old scholars joining in the fun. Athletes from schools such as International School Nadi received a lot of cheer whenever they participated, at times a little more then the actual winners did.

Supporters

Sportsmanship was fairly maintained throughout and this was carefully monitored by the joint efforts of Fiji Police and Fiji Navy officers.

Another interesting thing for me this year was see the reactions of one my colleagues who is actually an exchange student from USA. I thought that Mike really had a good time covering the event especially around all the hype that Fijian people bring when it comes to sports.

Mike Liudahl

With the Games now finished for yet another year, the only thing most athletes can reflect back on is their performance at this year's Games start preparing beforehand for next year. While those who leave secondary school next year face the questions of what avenues to pursue; Whether to continue with their athletics career? Whether to take up other sports which hold better opportunities for them? Or whether to pursue other aspects of life?

Beat lab in Fiji

With the increase in the number of local music artists in Fiji I can say that it won't long be when Fijian artists will be strutting their stuff against the very best in the world. 

Artists such as Knox, Dave Lavaki, Laisa Vulakoro and Seru Serevi, who have been regulars performers at local and international stages, normally come to mind, well to my mind, when the topic of Fijian musicians comes up.

Knox                         Source: Fiji Times

Laisa Vulakoro and Seru Serevi                 Source: Fiji Times

For the past two weeks, there has been a there has been a beat making lab which has been set up. Now at first thought, one could have mistaken it for a normal workshop for music lovers but it actually turned out to be a studio where everything revolved around beats and making beats for songs. Local musicians were actually sharing their work with a pair of music artists from USA who were also showcasing their work.

Pierce Freelon, a professor and founder of music group the Beast along with Stephen Levitin who is widely known as Apple Juice Kid, are the pair who have come down to make it all happen.

Pierce Freelon and Stephen Levitin at the Beat Lab studio in USP.

Both Freelon and Levitin have a wealth of experience with travels to as far the African continent to set up similar beat making labs Levitin having performed with likes of Timbaland. 

Based at the University, the pair with rap artist Dave Lavaki have been having regular classes in a bit to impart the knowledge of beat making. 

Looking at all the local work on show at the classes and the response from the two teachers, it can be said that it certainly will not be long until artists from Fiji take their talents to the international scene. 

                                                               

Fijian Rugby

For many rugby people from around the world, Fiji is one of the biggest breathing grounds for upcoming rugby stars. This has been a proven fact in any facet of the oval game whether it be 15s Rugby, 7s Rugby, Rugby League and most recently Aussie Rules Football.

Players like Nicky Little, Fiji's all time record points scorer from 15s, IRB Hall of Fame inductee Waisale Serevi from 7s, Penrith Panthers player Wes Naiqama from rugby league and West Coast Eagles' Nicholas 'Nic' Naitanui from the AFL are some of the players that have been doing wonders in their repective codes.

                                                  

Waisale Serevi

Nicky Little

Wes Naiqama

Nic Naitanui 

But despite all the hype behind Fiji to possibly be the best in the world of rugby, Fiji seems to always be legging behind other countries with 15s Rugby and 7s Rugby being the two codes that are affected the most. 
  
It is very disappointing to see a country, whose players are filled with so much talent and promise, struggle against other countries who are still developing in the sport of 7s. The Fijian side now find the going tough against teams such as Canada, Scotland and Kenya, whom they used to go past so easily. A recent proof was Fiji being relegated to the Bowl play-offs for the first time at the Wellington 7s earlier this year.  

Neighboring teams make full use of Fiji's so-called promise by either including players with Fijian heritage in their teams or coming down to Fiji to participate in local tournaments in a bit to help prepare themselves for international tournaments.

Rocky Khan

New Zealand has a host of Fijian players within its ranks with Rocky Khan being the most recent to adopt the black jumper. Australia and Japan are following suite with inclusions of one or two players in their squads. These minor but vital inclusions certainly adds flamboyancy into the teams, something that Fijians are known of.   

The latter is currently in Fiji preparing for the 7s World Cup in Moscow by confirming their participation in the biggest 7s Tournament in Fiji, the Marist Sevens. Other teams have done the same in the past with Australia, New Zealand brining in their sides to gain exposure. 

Not only is Fiji being used as a preparation field by other teams but there are other complications that are surfacing.

Players are now opting to play for other countries rather than Fiji, disregarding the fact of being brought up here for most of their life. The issue remains that  whether this choice comes out of pure interest for the game, availability of better opportunities or for monetary reasons. Some prominent players who have represented other countries include Lote Tuqiri (Autralia - 15s), Joe Rococoko and Sitiveni Sivivatu(New Zealand - 15s), Jarryd Hayne and Petero Civoniceva (Australia - Rugby League) and the list goes on. The most recent player is former Fiji U19 captain Noa Nakaitaci, who has been named in the French rugby team.    

Noa Nakaitaci                                      Source: Fiji Times

Etuate Waqa       Source: FT

Then comes the issue of players switching codes especially from Union to League with the raise in popularity and following of the game in Fiji. Fiji 7s new find Alipate Raitini joined NRL side Cronulla Sharks after helping Fiji win the Gold Coast 7s late last year following the lead of Semi Radradra who had joined Parammatta Eels earlier.

Alipate Raitini                        Source: Sydney Morning Herald

We also had former national 7s coach Etuate Waqa join the Tongan camp to look after the development of the sport there. 


It is not a matter of Fiji lacking talented players and coaches to lead the nation forward but a matter of bringing the best together in order to make a name for ourselves because in the end, regardless of the race or the colour, rugby is something that brings together all the people in this nation.   






              

Fiji enroute to Moscow

With the Rugby 7s World Cup just around the corner, there are many thoughts into how Fiji will perform at the tournament, the only one which is a bit more important than the Hong Kong 7s.     

The Fiji 7s team after a gym session.                                               Source: Fiji Sun

The people of Fiji can only hope that their 7s gladiators bounce back from their recent up-and-down performances in the HSBC Sevens Series so far.

Some of the reasons that usually pop up after a dismal performance include cases of inadequate training, lack of exposure for players, not the right mix of players, inappropriate planning and the list keeps on keeping on.

Fiji after winning a Plate competition.                                          Source: Facebook 

All these factors combined with frequent rotation of players, a move which officials claimed to be vital if Fiji were to win the 2012/2013 IRB Sevens World Series, shine at the World Cup and also triumph at the Olympics in Rio 2016. This venture has been a flop so far with Fiji coming in at third place in the overall standings after the conclusion of the Series.   

Wayne Pivac with Sireli Bobo after winning in 2005.                  Source: Fiji Times

Wayne Pivac, who was the coach when Fiji last hoisted the World Cup back in 2005, feels that selecting the right players was key in winning. Utilising the same technique in 2005 with a mixture of young and old, the side hoisted the Cup with relative ease.

Jope Tuikabe                                          Source: Fiji Times

Some former players and coaches have come out saying that the coach should seriously consider selecting players who are based overseas. Former captain Jope Tuikabe feels that having foreign players would help by adding depth and experience to the squad. 

Marika Vunibaka                     Source: Fiji Times

Former Crusaders winger Marika Vunibaka, who was also a member of the victorious 2005 team, shares similar views in saying that having all the experience that you can get is helpful. Vunibaka, who is coach/player of the Lomaiviti Club is now spreading the gospel of the game to upcoming stars.   







With a 30-member squad now named to prepare for the World Cup, coach Alivereti Dere has chosen to go with a quite experienced bunch of players with nine overseas-based players making the cut.

Boasting such quality players, one can only pray and hope that the Fijian side comes out its shell and rightfully takes its place amongst the giants of 7s rugby.

Delana's achievements act as a source of inspiration..

"The difference between school and life is that in school you are taught and then tested. In life you are given a test that teaches you a lesson."                                              - Iliesa Delana 

Months after becoming the first Fijian and also the first Pacific Islander to win a gold medal at the Paralympics, Iliesa Delana not only remains a person with a firm interest for sports but he is also a source of inspiration for many Fijians.

Iliesa Delana with his gold medal                                                                                                      Source: www.zimbio.com

September 4 will certainly be a date that Delana will remember throughout his life because that was the day he made it all happen. 

Bagging gold in front of a record crowd, and that too at the highest level of competition certainly did not come easy for the man from Nadroga.

Delana attempting his jump.                                                                                                     Source: www.zimbio.com

The fruit from making a lot sacrifices and coming through all those hardships has certainly been sweet for Delana who now acts as a beacon of inspiration for many Fijians not only in the sports field but also in other facets of life.

The country's leader also praised Delana of his accomplishments in saying that Delana has certainly done his country proud. 

Delana celebrating           Source: www.zimbio.com

Delana celebrating      Source: www.zimbio.com

Fiji's newest treasure has now joined the fight to tackle the issue of bullying in schools. Delana tries to tackle this mammoth task through newly established Iliesa Delana Foundation.

We all should be proud with what all this individual has achieved so far and how much he is actually giving back to the people.

If a person with his ability can do so much then one can only wonder what we all can achieve given that we set our mind and hearts to it.