A mother is the rock and foundation of a child.
They are the ones in whom an unborn child develops from embryo to a fully grown baby before the child makes its way out to what some like to call ‘a cruel world.’
In a mother’s eyes, their son or daughter is the apple of their eye and to a child who sees them from infancy to an early childhood, it’s the most solid form of guidance and strength.
And long after the days of diapers, baby food, supervised trips and being scolded for wrongdoings, their tender love and care tugs heartstrings even when the child has grown older into adulthood.
And for young netball player Mereoni Taqiri, who is part of the Fiji Baby Pearls team to the 2025 Netball Youth World Cup in Gibraltar, which starts tomorrow, her mother’s former stint as a netball player led her to take up the sport at an early age.
Taqiri is 21-years-old, is part of the Lomaiviti Netball Club and hails from Savu, Vugalei, Tailevu with maternal links to Nukuloa, Gau, Lomaiviti.
On the court, she plays the positions of goal attack and goal shooter.
She is also a first-year student at the Fiji National University, pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering.
A mother’s guidance
Taqiri’s earliest memory of taking up netball was when she was part of the under-nine netball team for Suva Methodist Primary School.
At the time, she had just moved to Suva, joined the school and took up the sport from there.
She found her way into it by becoming a part of the Lomaiviti Netball Club, affiliated with the Suva Netball Association.
And this is where her mother stepped in to help her find her way in a competitive sport as such.
“It was not that hard, because most of the time I was going around with my mom. She used to play netball too,” Taqiri recalled.
“I used to go around with her, watching her play. I got some rules from there, took out some rules from there, which made it easier for me.”
Getting down to business
Taqiri was one of six players from the Suva Netball Association’s affiliated teams that were picked for the outing to Gibraltar.
Like her teammates who Times Sports had spoken to such as Akisi Bolakoro, they described training as an intense time, where they needed to concentrate on perfecting their craft to ensure they would get the nod from the coaching staff overseeing the training phase.
However, in trying their best to ensure they were able to get picked for their assignment in Gibraltar, she mentioned how the team needed to overcome challenges that sprung up along the way.
“What kept us going is the struggles we went through. We went through a lot, the Baby Pearls, we went through a lot,” Taqiri recalled.
“But even though we had some challenges, we still told ourselves that we could it.
“Just be yourself, trust yourself, do the job, train hand and enjoy the game.”
Taqiri gets selected
The Savu, Vugalei, Tailevu player was over the moon when she found out she was selected for the Fijian Baby Pearls netball team.
For her, it was the definite conclusion to a period of what had been intense training, personal development and the lingering notion of whether or not she was picked or if she did enough to convince the national selectors she had what it took to earn the pick for Gibraltar.
“Firstly, I was overjoyed because for two years, we were in the academy squad and then getting picked – it’s something great for me to represent my country,” she said proudly.
Her parents were also proud of her selection.
“My parents, they were shocked, because there were a lot of other girls but they were thankful that I got the chance to represent the country on the world stage,” she said.
Meanwhile, being one of seven locally-based players picked, it meant having to meet overseas-based players who made up the remainder of the national squad.
“We had a tournament just recently, when we got the overseas based players coming in, we had to play against the teams from overseas.
“That’s when the team got picked, their support has been number one, since they are the ones that are pushing me.
“They are pushing me forward to give my best in everything that I do and to not give up and enjoy everything that I do.”
Anticipation for competition
As the days turn into hours before their first match at the 2025 Netball Youth World Cup in Gibraltar, Taqiri, like her teammates, are looking forward to taking onto the court.
“I’m looking forward to the competition, and putting Fiji on the map,” she said.
She was also featured in a player profile for Netball Fiji leading up to the Youth World Cup where she reflected on how immense the opportunity to represent Fiji was for her.
“Being selected to represent Fiji to the World Youth Cup is a huge opportunity for me, it means a lot for me to represent my country and my family,” she wrote.
Taqiri and her Suva Netball teammates were treated to lunch by the association’s executives at the Olive Tree restaurant in Damodar City, Suva where Times Sports had caught up with her to hear her story and how her mother played a compelling role in her development as a young woman and as a formidable netball player.
She shared similar sentiments to Netball Fiji in her player profile.
“My mom is my inspiration, she’s always motivated me to work hard and give my best in everything I do,” she said.
And in applying that advice to her development as a player, she also had a message to share for young netballers.
“Keep working hard to achieve your goals and never lose hope – just trust in yourself,” she said.
She also thanked her club Lomaiviti Netball Club and the Suva, Nasinu and Nadera Netball Associations for their support towards her.
Mereoni Taqiri in action. Picture: NETBALL FIJI
