SHEER hard work, sacrifice and proper planning enabled Natabua High School and Jasper Williams High School to rewrite a new chapter in this year’s Coca-Cola Games history book.
This is according to Divisional Education Officer Western Lorima Voravora.
While Jasper has engraved its name for the girls champions for three consecutive years, its neighbouring Lautoka school became the first school to lift the boys title to the Western Division.
The two schools shared the Natabua High School ground for training and together have produced the goods for the people of Lautoka.
Voravora said the achievements weres not prepared overnight but had taken three years of strategic planning to finally lift both the titles to the Sugar City.
“They have planned and strategized well,” he said.
“They have followed this plan for the last two to three years which include all aspects of preparation.
“The willingness was there and athletes were taught to believe in themselves that they can be the best. They have mastered the cutting edge to edge any opposition despite the challenges and limitation.”
Voravora said the athletes of the two schools knew that top schools such as ACS, Marist, QVS, RKS and Suva Grammar would be tough to beat which inspired the athletes of the two schools to work hard. He said athletes were groomed to have mentally fit and believed in themselves.
“That gap is always there against top schools —— inwardly we all know that Marist, QVS, RKS, ACS and SGS are there at the top and we look at them as the top schools but we just need to work and strategize how to counter them.
“ACS will always be ACS likewise for QVS and Marist and we respect them.”
Voravora said the challenge now for the two schools to defend the title next year but he believed the achievement was just the beginning for the West schools.
“The roller-coaster has started and you cannot stop it, it gathers strength and speed as it moves because the machinery has been put in place —— not only in the athletics but also in the academics.”
“Jasper has learnt to defend the title and now the challenge is for Natabua to do the same.
“These two schools did analysis and profiling not only of themselves but of the oppositions and this is to be done in a scientific way with logical analysis.
“The other aspects we didn’t have the facilities but we try to make that up through adjustments. We trained them to adapt in any given situation, they have been trained to adapt in all surfaces.
“This is just the beginning, I have told them this is the year of reckoning for the West.”
Voravora has saluted all athletes, teachers, coaches , old scholars, parents who have contributed immensely to the success of these two champion schools. He said he would meet the Lautoka City Council and other stakeholders to celebrate the achievement of the Coke Games champions.
