I SALUTE the Lautoka soccer team for defying all odds and beating the Marist FC club at a jam-packed Lawson Tama Stadium.
Praneel Naidu’s second-half screamer was enough to stun the 12 thousand-plus home fans as the Blues created history by qualifying for the OFC Champions League final.
Lautoka has done everyone in Fiji proud and has set a benchmark for soccer teams in Fiji.
The Blues team management invested in players from abroad and while this drew criticism, they proved critics wrong.
I believe Lautoka needs more assistance from Fiji FA and Vodafone so that our local giants can prepare well against the champion Wellington side.
Thank you Lautoka for the hard work and determination!
RAJNESH ISHWAR LINGAM
Nadawa, Nasinu
7s fever
SUNDAY evening Kava Place was like being at Churchill Park.
The shouts and screams of joy reverberated around our little area. The grog flowed like wine, it was good. Oh, of course there were moments of near heart attacks but the boys did it.
Thank you Baber and the boys for the win. And did you know that our speedster Naduva is just as fast as Carlin Isles. Move over Isles, Naduva is also fast.
ALLEN LOCKINGTON
Kava Place, Waiyavi, Lautoka
Midwife crisis
THE revelation by senior official with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services Silina Ledua that we need 900 midwives is worrying and is a huge risk to rural childbirth who don’t have the facilities. We need housewives employed for this purpose.
I hope the Ministry for Health will look into this concern.
AMENATAVE YACONISAU
Palm Drive, Delainavesi
7s cheer
DID I hear a cheer from the armchair critics on Sunday night?
WISE MUAVONO
Hedstrom Pl, Balawa, Lautoka
Keep it up
READING Siteri Sauvakacolo’s article would make any right thinking person understand that there is a need for many more people of Vijay Singh’s calibre and attitude.
Real people help out of their own pockets and not from outside sources. Keep it up Vijay.
You are a good model for our new set of leaders for tomorrow. God bless you and “Monday”. My salutations to The Fiji Times for highlighting such acts of humanism by individuals.
With you there are better times ahead.
DHIRENDRA PRASAD
Lautoka
Coolest coach
TO me, the South African 7s coach is the coolest coach.
SUKHA SINGH
Labasa
Tactical approach
WHAT I have noticed these days is that our police officers on our roads are not tactical in their work approach and the public have been able to take precaution even before they appear.
People like me know where to drive over speed limits and where to slow down as far as 40km/h.
I have noticed that the current crop of officers are more reliant on the speed machines and speed limits rather than be tactical in their approach. That is to pop up anywhere, any time at any given condition and do the job that a speeding machine can’t do.
PITA SOROAQALI
Nadarivatu
Top shelf rugby
WOW, what a weekend of top shelf rugby from our gallant warriors and Naduva, you beauty.
Those wheels just keep on scampering away.
Day two of the Singapore 7s and they lifted their performance to another level and what a privilege to witness the games from the quarters to the final.
One thing that stood out was how aggressive and disciplined our boys were.
They played hard and fair throughout this series and have only grown in confidence.
Tuwai’s comments after the final shows how he has grown as an individual and should be an inspiration to us all.
He is passionate about his work and humble when he achieves his goals.
There’s a lot we can learn from this team and all credit to Baber and his coaching staff members in moulding these men (some unknown to many of us) into champions.
Onwards and upwards Fiji, well done.
SAILOSI NAEWE
Naduru Rd, Nausori
My prediction
THE cards were set, a quarters win over NZ and a semis triumph over series leaders the Blitzbokke.
We have now won a third straight series event and hold an 18-0 win no loss record in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series which was unbelievable to think at the beginning of the series.
We have not lost in the past three tournaments and this is, if not better than the team pre-Olympics 2016 competing in the series.
We have two tournaments to battle in Europe and a win or finals appearance will certainly lay the platform to another memorable series win.
Go Gareth and the boys, a total turnaround in fortunes not even in the roadmap this year.
Joka kece
SHALWYN PRASAD
Mukta Ben Place, Nabua
Forward pass
ONCE again there was a forward pass by South Africa against Fiji by Dillan Sage to Viviwe Soyizwapi.
It could be seen from far yet the referee didn’t call it, nor did the linesman.
Even the commentators said it had to be a forward pass.
Soyizwapi himself slowed down because I think he knew it was a forward pass because he caught it well in front. Karl Te Nana thought it was 10 metres in front.
Seconds after, Cecil Afrika is sin-binned for pulling Nacuqu’s jersey.
And everybody said, “Kalou Sa Raica.” Anyway, I will be writing to the referee about it, the letter will be written in braille.
ALLEN LOCKINGTON
Kava Place, Waiyavi, Lautoka
Issue of vaccination
FOR many, vaccination is an extremely controversial topic. Whether you agree with it or not, one thing is certain, the choice to vaccinate or not to vaccinate is a decision that has the potential to greatly impact your health and most importantly, the health of your children for the rest of their lives.
It is therefore important that your decision is not taken lightly and it should definitely not be made merely because your doctor, your government or the World Health Organization (WHO) says that shots are safe.
The key in making an informed decision is to investigate the facts with an open mind and know exactly what you are getting yourself into before you commit to do anything.
There is no more foolish choice than to do something because it is someone else’s wishes and not your own.
After all it is your body and they are your children!
SIMON HAZELMAN
Savusavu
Let’s keep rugby clean
SINGAPORE 7s is done and dusted but not without its controversies.
First and foremost a big thanks to the boys, our Pacific dragon and staff for a good outing at the National Stadium.
I believe for years we have always played against eight men in a seven-men game and it should not come as a surprise.
We are now living in a different era, where there is equal rights for everyone and everyone has the same opportunity, but I guess it does not translate onto the rugby pitch.
As was evident on Sunday night, we had one referee for both the quarter-final and semi-final and he was clearly biased against our boys.
With the high tackles and knee on the head going unnoticed, even the touch judges were oblivious to it. Then in the semi-final, where even the commentator and the South African player going in to score knew it was a forward pass, not by an inch but by a mile, still it was not ruled by this same referee.
Come on World Rugby, what do you want, for us to win the series and the World Cup and shove it down your throats?
Can the big wigs in the white house intervene because this type of refereeing will cause some serious damage here in Fiji with screens being sworn at and even some getting hypertension.
Let’s keep rugby clean they say. I commend the boys for remaining calm and not retaliating. Also, we need to look at our local competitions and our local whistle men, even our local referee who was officiating let some things slide, things that would have been picked up by other refs.
We need to tighten up and implement the rugby laws in Fiji and not be relaxed as this will affect our future group of players.
But all in all vinaka vakalevu na qito boys.
LAWRENCE WARA
Suva
7s assurance
BABER appears to have found the winning formula for our national 7s team.
What we are seeing is fitness and endurance in a team that is honed to win a series, not just a tournament.
A rather tepid outing early in the series had the doubters ringing for change. However, Baber asked for patience and promised that the deliverables will show with time.
And not only have they delivered, the team’s performance since Hamilton, New Zealand has been nothing short of spectacular.
We march on to Paris then to London at the top of the leader board after taking out three consecutive tournaments in Vancouver, Hong Kong and Singapore, and we can be assured that Baber still has some surprises to spring up and keep everyone guessing as Fiji aims to bag the 2017/18 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series title.
The World Cup 7s in July?
Well, San Francisco is going to be just a formality, what say team?
SAMU RAILOA
Tailevu
The era of models
READING about Allen’s excitement of the sight of beauties (FT 30/04/2018), confirms that no man is old at any age. Out of all, you are genuine in revealing the affects of such a sight. God bless the beauties for their dedication and professionalism at heart.
To all the gentlemen, please keep your heart strong because there are more to come in the era of models and supermodels of all kinds.
By the way, they could have promoted benefits of reading just by holding a book in their hands.
That would have been very powerful.
But genuinely, they promoted happiness and an awareness of the promotion of clean environment in any form.
DHIRENDRA PRASAD
Lautoka
Unpleasant experience
I WOULD like to raise through this column the unpleasant experience we customers go through in some restaurants and cafes.
Especially where eating tables are not repaired or maintained, table legs become uneven.
Thus causing tea, soft drinks and other food to spill on tables making a mess.
So one is able to buy food but unable to enjoy them in these places.
Upon complaining, managers and owners are quick to promise repairs, but unfortunately nothing is done to address this.
If authorities could look into this issue immediately!
STEVEN CHANDRA
Suva
