In 1977, Fiji’s first woman cricketer, Anaseini Uate, returned to the sport of netball.
Ms Uate, according to an article published by The Fiji Times on June 7 that year, was the sports mistress at Suva Grammar School, and also the captain-coach of her home team, Nadroga, in the Suva netball B grade competition.
She was a key player in defence and also played hockey for Ventures, but only when they were short of players.
“It all depends, if our matches clash, then I have to go to netball,” Ms Uate said.
“I think my netball team needs me more than the hockey team, which has a lot of players.”
Ms Uate coached nine netball teams from her school, which played in the Suva Secondary Schools Netball Competition.
“Some of my girls are pretty good while others need a little more coaching to improve their play,” she said.
She would also occupy herself umpiring games at secondary school level.
Ms Uate said that after the (SPG) games she would go back to indoor basketball, athletics and cricket.
She said she had the South Pacific Games in mind and would start building up to be at peak form by then.
She further told this newspaper she would be with the Suva Grammar cricket team again the next season and would like to pass on the little knowledge she had to other girls.
Ms Uate said she had been approached by several women to form a cricket team but confirmed she would rather stay with the school team.
“I can give them the help they want but I need a lot more coaching myself,” she said.
Her team did well the previous season. They began in the reserve grade but was later promoted to B grade.
The article concluded with her hoping that more women would take a keen interest in and take part in men’s sports.
