FIJI’S young badminton representatives Abigail Corrie of St Anne’s Suva and Arohan Gogoi of Drasa Avenue Lautoka are gaining valuable international experience at the 2026 Zespri AIMS Games School Sporting Championships in Tauranga, New Zealand.
The pair completed their singles campaigns on Tuesday after two days of ranking pool matches before moving into the mixed doubles competition yesterday.
Gogoi secured one victory in his finals division before bowing out after a closely contested second match.
Corrie enjoyed a stronger run, winning three matches before her singles campaign ended in the quarter-finals.
The St Anne’s student finished her singles campaign with a smile despite missing out on a place in the semi-finals.
The mixed doubles competition provided both players with another opportunity to test themselves against young players from across the region.
Their participation at the AIMS Games is part of a growing pathway for young badminton players in Fiji, with the tournament providing exposure to international competition at an early age.
Badminton Fiji president Abel Caine had earlier described Gogoi’s selection as a reflection of the development of badminton at grassroots level in Fiji.
Caine also highlighted the significance of the AIMS Games, which brings together young athletes from New Zealand, Australia and Fiji.
For Gogoi, the tournament marked a significant milestone after he became Drasa Avenue Primary School’s first badminton representative at the AIMS Games.
Corrie also made history for St Anne’s, with the school adding badminton to its participation at the tournament this year.
The two players now return to Fiji with further experience gained from competing on the international school sporting stage.
Their performances in Tauranga also provide an important benchmark as they continue their development in badminton and look towards future opportunities in the sport.
With the singles and mixed doubles competitions now completed, the focus will be on building on the experience gained from their AIMS Games campaign.
For Fiji badminton, the exposure provided to young players such as Corrie and Gogoi is another step towards strengthening the sport’s junior pathway and encouraging greater participation at school level.
