Sport
17th October
Kosgei among 11 nominees for female athlete of the year
(Reuters) – Kenya’s marathon world record holder Brigid Kosgei was one of 11 nominees for the IAAF female athlete of the year, athletics’ governing body announced on Tuesday. The 25-year-old Kosgei finished the Chicago Marathon...
16th October
Anti-racism body says England game should have been abandoned
LONDON (Reuters) – Anti-racism organisation Kick It Out has criticised European football’s governing body UEFA for failing to abandon Monday’s Euro 2020 qualifier in Bulgaria after England’s black players were subjected to monkey chants. The game was twice halted in the first half, first when England manager Gareth Southgate informed the UEFA delegate about incidents...
World Cup winner Carli Lloyd keen to try NFL
(Reuters) – Carli Lloyd, a twice winner of the women’s World Cup, said on Tuesday that she was seriously considering a future as a pro kicker in the NFL. “I want to try it. I want to put a helmet on, I want to put pads on, I want to kick with two steps. And...
Pillay to represent Fiji in first international championship
GOING on his first international bodybuilding championship, Jordan Pillay received a boost of $5000 this afternoon from sponsors Digicel Fiji. Pillay will be representing Fiji to the South Pacific Bodybuilding Championship in Vanuatu next week alongside 11 other bodybuilders. Digicel Fiji CEO Mike Greig said they were proud to support a sport that did not...
Stopping Japan’s ‘Ferraris’ imperative for South Africa
TOKYO (Reuters) – South Africa have to shut down two high speed Japanese ‘Ferraris’ if they are to prevail in the World Cup quarter-final on Sunday, according to Springboks assistant coach Mzwandile Stick. Japan have electrified the World Cup with their high-tempo game plan devised by coaches Jamie Joseph and Tony Brown with wingers Kenki...
Eddies Jones could be Fiji bound
TOKYO, 16 OCTOBER 2019 (SMH) – England coach Eddie Jones is contracted to the RFU until the end of 2021 but there is serious talk about whether he will last that long. Much of it depends on how England fare this weekend against Australia, but the Cauliflower has also heard Jones is already casting around...
New Zealand Rugby chairman says Northern Hemisphere powerhouses’ treatment of Pacific nations is ‘virtually colonialism’
WELLINGTON, 16 OCTOBER 2019 (AFP) – The treatment of rugby’s Pacific nations by Northern Hemisphere powerhouses borders on colonialism, New Zealand Rugby chairman Brent Impey said Tuesday. Commenting on the failure of Fiji, Tonga and Samoa to make the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals for the third straight tournament, Impey said the Pacific islands were being...
France not going to let fast starts slip again in quarter-final
OITA, Japan (Reuters) – France recognise that they need to do more than one thing to beat Wales in their Rugby World Cup quarter-final in Oita, but not wasting a good start will be key, according to their inside backs on Monday. Wales beat France 24-19 in the Six Nations earlier this year despite the...
Fiji Police receives $16k for IDC tournament
THE Fiji Police Force received a cheque worth $16,332 from sponsors Kontiki Finance as preparations were finalised for the Fiji Police Force Kontiki Finance Inter-District tournament. Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police Rusiate Tudravu thanked Kontiki Finance for coming aboard saying in doing so, they had contributed in providing a platform in identifying star players. “With...
Tough competition for New World Suva business house
THE 2019 New World IGA Suva netball business house competition is expecting a tough tournament come October 22, 2019. Suva Netball Association secretary Lusi Rokoura said they were expecting 28 teams to register. “Registration closes next week Monday, October 21, and the Knockout Opening is held on Tuesday, October 22,” Rokoura said. “So far the...
Fiji FA hunts for new national coach
THE Fiji Football Association will have a new national coach soon. Fiji FA president Rajesh Patel has confirmed a few names had been shortlisted for the mentor’s position. Patel said those shortlisted also included coaches from Serbia and France. Both those coaches have UEFA Pro License coaching accreditation. Former coach Christophe Gamel stepped down due...
Tough task ahead for Fijian Drua
THE Fiji Airways Fijian Drua side faces a tough task in the semi-finals of the National Rugby Championship this Sunday. The Senirusi Seruvakula-coached side plays Canberra Vikings in the semis. The two teams met during the round-robin competition of this year’s tournament when the Drua were thumped 41-28 in Canberra, Australia. Missing tackles proved to...
Women racers turn heads at drag race
A FEW women racers are turning heads at the Fiji Motor Sports Association Quarter-Mile Drag Race. Sindhu Prakash clocked a time of 14.39 seconds and finished above 19 other participants at the race last Sunday. She finished 13th overall and took out the first prize in the women’s category. FMA president Raizal Haniff said it...
Labasa to celebrate 2019 IDC win
THE Labasa football side will celebrate its 2019 Courts Inter District Championship win this Saturday. Team president Rayaz Khan said they did not want to hold back the celebrations. “We want to thank the fans back at home who couldn’t make it to the grounds. The players have worked hard and need a break as well,”...
Japan climbs to seventh position on world rugby rankings
THE 2019 Rugby World Cup host, Japan, has climbed to the seventh position on the latest World Rugby rankings. Japan has 82.08 points and replaces France in the seventh position. France has 81.38 points and has slipped into eighth position. This after an impressive outing in the pool stages of this year’s tournament. Japan defeated...
Primary schools IDC: Rewa on the mend
THE Rewa football squad that is gearing up for the Fiji Primary Schools Inter-District Championship this weekend focuses on balancing education with training and getting better results from both. The Delta under-12 and U14 teams will showcase their talents in the three-day tournament at Ratu Cakobau Park in Nausori starting tomorrow. Their aim is to...
Flying Fijians coach McKee plans ahead
FLYING Fijians coach John McKee believes the most important achievement at the 2019 Rugby World Cup was to gain direct qualification for the 2023 event, which will be held in France. He said the direct qualification made the planning cycle easier for the Fiji Rugby Union to start preparations early to build the team for...
Waqaniburotu: Boys are home with head held high
FLYING Fijians captain Dominiko Waqaniburotu is not sure about his availability for the match against the Barbarians in England next month. Waqaniburotu, who is contracted with French Top-14 club Pau, said since the match was not in the World Rugby international release window, the availability of the professional players were not guaranteed. He said the...
I’m keen to stay, says McKee
FIJI Airways Flying Fijians head coach John McKee’s contract is expected to end in December. McKee, whose contract was extended for another two years in 2017 to allow him to take the Flying Fijians to the 2019 Rugby World Cup, has expressed keen interest to continue building the team for the 2023 RWC. “I think...
Ronaldo scores 700th career goal in Euro qualifier with Ukraine
(Reuters) – Cristiano Ronaldo netted his 700th career goal when he converted a 72nd minute penalty in Portugal’s Euro 2020 qualifier against Ukraine on Monday. The 34-year-old has scored 95 for his country, 450 for Real Madrid, 118 for Manchester United, 32 for Juventus and five for Sporting. Portugal were beaten 2-1 by Ukraine in...
15th October
Federer confirms Tokyo Olympics participation
(Reuters) – Roger Federer confirmed his participation in next year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo and said on Monday that he had listened to his heart before making the decision. The Swiss 38-year-old competed in the first of four Olympic Games at Sydney in 2000 and won the doubles gold partnering Stan Wawrinka in 2008 and...
England thrash Bulgaria after game halted over racist abuse
SOFIA (Reuters) – England bounced back from their first tournament qualifying defeat for 10 years with a 6-0 thrashing of toothless Bulgaria on Monday in a Euro 2020 Group A clash marred by racist incidents in the first half that stopped the game. The match at the Vasil Levski stadium was temporarily halted by the...
Ireland’s Aki to miss rest of World Cup as red card is upheld
(Reuters) – Ireland centre Bundee Aki will miss the remainder of the Rugby World Cup after an independent judicial committee on Monday upheld the red card he picked up in their 47-5 victory over Samoa on Saturday. Aki was sent off in the 29th minute following a high tackle on Samoa flyhalf Ulupano Seuteni at...
High tackle directive demands cultural change
OITA, Japan (Reuters) – A brief exchange in Samoa’s game against Ireland on Friday perfectly encapsulated the internal struggle rugby is undergoing as officials seek to make the game safer in the face of some confusion and some blank refusal by those playing it. Samoa’s Seilala Lam had just been yellow carded for smashing his...
New Zealand’s Hansen glad Japan is on the other side of the draw
TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s progress to the World Cup quarter-finals has not only enthralled the host nation but it has also made the heavyweights of the rugby world, including defending champions New Zealand, sit up and take notice. Impressed by Sunday’s 28-21 victory over Scotland at a raucous Yokohama Stadium, which propelled Japan to their...
Scotland in the slow lane as World Cup hopes dashed by Japan
TOKYO (Reuters) – Gregor Townsend had hoped Scotland’s up-tempo brand of rugby would carry them into the knockout stage of the World Cup but their campaign was undone by one side who slowed them to walking pace and another who actually played even faster. Scotland’s 28-21 loss to Japan at a heaving Yokohama Stadium on...
2019 RWC: Low key welcome for Flying Fijians
THE Fiji Airways Flying Fijians received a low key welcome upon their arrival from the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan today. Assistant Minister for Youth and Sports Alipate Nagata, Fiji Rugby Union development manager Sale Sorovaki and a few family members were present at the Nadi International Airport to greet the players. Fiji bowed out...
Bua to return to primary schools IDC
BUA District School returns to the Fiji Primary Schools’ Football Association Inter District Championship (IDC) at Ratu Cakobau Park in Nausori this week after a lapse of few years. Association president Dinmani Mudaliar said the return of the school had boosted North’s participation in the annual event. “They are among the unbeaten teams in the...
Dr Mitchell officiates in new world games
FIJI’S Dr Robin Mitchell has praised the hard work placed by the organising committee of the inaugural World Beach Games in Doha, Qatar, last Friday. Fiji stood tall at the ceremony as one of our own, who is also a high ranking officer of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), officiated in the world tournament. Dr...
Dream comes true for Leveleve
HIS only hope was for his mother to be alive so that she can witness his achievement in rugby league. Penaia Leveleve is all geared up for another assignment and this time, he is looking forward to rub shoulders with the best in the sport. Leveleve, 23, was named in the Fiji Rugby League Nines...
