Sport
School teacher confident with Fiji’s 2019 RWC squad
SCHOOL teacher Matia Loga spent the afternoon (yesterday) with his kids at the Albert Park in Suva to observe the 31 Fiji Airways Flying Fijians who will be representing the country to the World Cup....
Lomani’s journey
FIJI Airways Flying Fijians first choice halfback Frank Lomani still rates Nikola Matawalu as the best halfback in the field as he uses the opportunity to learn from him building up towards the Rugby World Cup next month. Lomani has been the first choice scrum-half for the head coach John McKee in the past few...
Vugakoto’s dream come true
YOUNGEST of the lot, Ratu Veremalua Vugakoto says it is a dream come true to be picked in the final 2019 Rugby World Cup squad after a tough two months of fighting for a spot with the 42-member Flying Fijians extended squad. The 21-year-old hooker said he knew the responsibility that lay ahead of him...
Serena to begin 2020 season with return to Auckland
(Reuters) – Former world number one Serena Williams will begin her 2020 season with a return to the Auckland Open in January, her first appearance at the tournament since she was ousted in the second round in 2017. The Auckland Open serves as a warm-up before the year’s first Grand Slam, the Australian Open, which...
Blake blasts back with 100m Diamond League win, eyes world champs
BIRMINGHAM, England (Reuters) – Former world champion Yohan Blake of Jamaica edged Britain’s Adam Gemili in a photo-finish to win the 100 meters at the Birmingham Diamond League meeting on Sunday. Both sprinters were given the same time of 10.07 seconds, with Blake declared the winner. “It was coming,” said Blake, the 2011 world champion...
Tiger leaves door open to playing on Presidents Cup team
(Reuters) – U.S. Presidents Cup captain Tiger Woods said on Monday he may select himself to play for the team in December but he would need to see how sharp his game is before making the call. Woods was not among the top eight players to automatically qualify for the squad after he finished 13th...
Stephens splits with coach Groeneveld ahead of U.S. Open
(Reuters) – American Sloane Stephens has parted ways with her coach Sven Groeneveld less than a week before the U.S. Open gets underway, the former champion has said. Stephens, who only teamed up with Dutchman Groeneveld in May, has not announced a replacement ahead of the year’s final Grand Slam, which begins on Monday. “After...
20th August
Basketball clinic aimed at encouraging kids on the importance of staying healthy
THE Hoops for Health Basketball clinic organized by Basketball Fiji drew in many children from around the Suva area in its attempt to raise awareness against non-communicable diseases. The clinic is being held at the Damodar City car park and will end on Thursday. Program organizer Kenneth Taliu said the program was aimed at encouraging kids...
Former Fiji golden girl breaks multiple records in Australia
FORMER Fiji weightlifter Eileen Cikamatana has risen to the top of the world after breaking 46 weightlifting records and three world records all in one day during the Australian National and Junior Weightlifting Championships in Sydney over the weekend. The former Fiji Commonwealth Games gold medallist now plying her trade in Australia was reported by...
Flying Fijians: Matavesi says Fiji can win
FLYING Fijians hooker Sam Matavesi believes the Flying Fijians have what it takes to beat the Wallabies in their opening 2019 Rugby World Cup match. “Of course we have what it takes,” Matavesi said. The All Blacks beat the Wallabies last weekend,” Matavesi said that he also watched. “As a group we watched it and...
Flying Fijians: Ready for Japan
FIJI 7s Olympic Gold medallist Semi Kunatani says the team has a chance to create history as he and his fellow Flying Fijians look to stamp their mark in this year’s Rugby World Cup. “We want to create history you know,” said Kunatani. “Because the opportunity only comes once and our target is just that,...
Flying Fijians: Tough challenge helps Mawi
FLYING Fijians prop Eroni Mawi says the battle in the front row has forced players to dig deep with his front forwards fighting it out for the five spots on offer. “It has definitely been competitive,” said Mawi. With players such as Campese Ma’afu, Manasa Saulo, Peni Ravai, Lee-Roy Atalifo and Kalivati Tawake, Mawi said...
Flying Fijians: Focus on Australia
THE Flying Fijians have picked up their pace as training intensifies with only 32 days left until the Rugby World Cup in Japan. “It is a very important week,” said head coach John McKee. “We have talked about the responsibility that goes with selection and our team culture,” McKee also said with their final Test...
One for the ages – Cikamatana breaks 46 records in one day
EILEEN Cikamatana has written her name in history books after breaking 46 weightlifting records including three world records during the Australian National and Junior Weightlifting Championships in Sydney last weekend. The Commonwealth Games gold medallist now plying her trade in Australia is now the No.1 junior weightlifter in her category in the world by 50...
Relieved Thomas wins BMW Championship by three strokes over Cantlay
(Reuters) – Justin Thomas faltered in the final round at the BMW Championship on Sunday but held on for an ultimately comfortable three-stroke victory at Medinah in suburban Chicago. He carded a closing four-under 68 to finish on a 25-under-par total of 263, while fellow American Patrick Cantlay shot a 65 for second place on...
WTA roundup: Keys downs Kuznetsova to win Cincinnati title
Madison Keys served 13 aces and won the fifth singles title of her career on Sunday when she posted a 7-5, 7-6 (5) victory over Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final of the Western & Southern Open near Cincinnati. The 16th-seeded Keys registered 43 winners while overcoming 33 unforced errors to outlast Kuznetsova in one hour,...
Marathon man Medvedev beats Goffin for Cincinnati crown
(Reuters) – Russian Daniil Medvedev survived cramps and tantrum where he cracked a racquet to clinch his first Masters 1000 title on Sunday with a 7-6(3) 6-4 win over David Goffin in the final of the Cincinnati Masters. Medvedev saved two breaks points while serving for the match at 5-4 in the second set before...
19th August
38 vie for top title
THIRTY-EIGHT sailors participated during the annual Vuda Regatta which ended at the Vuda Marina in Lautoka yesterday. The championship attracted sailors from as far as Savusavu and Suva. The participants competed in the optimist sailing, laser sailing and hobie cat sailing categories. Vuda Sailing Championship race master and Vuda Marina representative Lisa Philip said this...
Vatubua’s dream
FLYING Fijians centre three-quarters Jale Vatubua will be out to collect Wallabies scalps when Fiji meets Australia in their opening match of the Rugby World Cup at Sapporo Dome in Japan next month. “For me personally it’s Australia,” Vatubua said. A personal affair, Vatubua said he hadn’t forgotten his debut game for the Flying Fijians...
Talks underway to merge school tournaments
AN idea of merging the Vodafone Super Deans Rugby Championship and Vodafone Rugby Kaji Festival finals was discussed unofficially by the two unions during the Fiji National Kaji Rugby Festival in Sigatoka last week. Under the sponsorship of Vodafone for both competitions and assisted by the Fiji Rugby Union, the Fiji Secondary Schools Rugby Union...
Sam Lee to compete in Vanuatu open
TOP local-based professional Sam Lee will be out to better his performance when he participates in the Vanuatu Golf Open which starts at the Port Vila Golf and Country Club on August 27. Lee finished in fifth position last year carding a score of 12 under par. The event was won by Australian Ryan Gaske...
Nadi, Suva wins
THE Nadi football team yesterday belted Rewa 4-nil in the 2019 Vodafone Premier League challenge at the international standard turf at the Uprising Beach Resort. Tito Vodowaqa was the star of the match after he managed to score two goals in the much anticipated game. The side dominated throughout the game and displayed great footballing...
18th August
Nasinu takes netball title after 7 years
AFTER seven years Fiji Gold Nasinu Netball team have finally won beating New World Suva 36-34 yesterday. It was a battle of national players between New World Suva and Fiji Gold Nasinu at the National Netball Centre. The Alesi Waqa Paul-captained team was unstoppable right until the end of the final whistle. Goal shooters Lydia...
Goneva tops scoring list
VETERAN Flying Fijian Vereniki Goneva has credited his teammates throughout the years and that has allowed him to become the top try-scorer in Fiji rugby history. Goneva scored the lone try in the 10-3 win over Manu Samoa last weekend in their last Pacific Nations Cup match propelling him into the Fiji Rugby Union history...
Top support for Fiji team
FLYING Fijians head coach John McKee has labelled the people of Fiji as the main ingredient and source that drives the Flying Fijians. “The pride of representing Fiji is a real drive for our players,” said coach John McKee as the players and officials took a break from their routine closed sessions to open the...
Osaka retires at Cincinnati with knee injury
(Reuters) – World number one Naomi Osaka retired from the Cincinnati Masters with an apparent knee injury on Friday, less than two weeks before the start of her U.S. Open title defence. Osaka was trailing American Sofia Kenin in the third set of their quarter-final in Cincinnati when she sought treatment on her left knee....
Tiger’s charge fizzles in second 71 at BMW
Tiger Woods was unable to keep a mid-round charge going Friday and will have to rally over the weekend at the BMW Championship in order to qualify for next week’s Tour Championship. Woods traded a pair of birdies and bogeys over his first nine holes at Medinah Country Club outside of Chicago to make the...
Relentless Djokovic beats Pouille to reach semi-finals
(Reuters) – Novak Djokovic wore down Lucas Pouille after an even first set, dispatching the Frenchman 7-6(2) 6-1 in a Cincinnati Masters quarter-final in Ohio on Friday. The match was much closer than when the pair met in the Australian Open semi-finals in January, when Djokovic conceded only four games before going on to win...
17th August
Punjas Digicel IDC: Suva Green wins premier grade
SUVA Green defeated Nasinu 26-16 in the premier grade at the Punjas Digicel inter-district championship today. They also won the under 19 grade defeating Nadi 35-15. Coach Kitione Waqavonovono said the players played their hearts out. “It was not the results that I was expected but I am grateful to the players that they did...
Tuwai helps team retain Ram Sami Shield
FIJI sevens star, Jerry Tuwai helped his Newtown Rugby Club retain the Nasinu Rugby Football Union Ram Sami Shield beating challengers Police Rugby Club 22-11 today at St Marcellin Primary School grounds in Vatuwaqa. Newtown came from behind to score to late tries in the second half to ensure the shield remained with them for another...
