Success has always been within the grasp of national football striker Roy Krishna throughout his tenure in professional football, however a victory at the Fiji FACT, when he played for Labasa, may be the elusive addition to his illustrious football career.
The Siberia, Labasa native first donned the district’s distinct red and white striped jersey for the tournament in 2007.
In that year, the Babasiga Lions fell short to Ba 0-1 in the final, held at the home turf of the Men in Black at Govind Park.
They made it to the final after defeating Lautoka 2-1 in the semi-final where Krishna himself shot through the Lautoka defence to place the first goal.
Labasa’s runner-up finish in that year was a repeat of the year before and the year after.
In 2006, they were beaten 0-3 by Ba at the then TFL National Stadium (now HFC Bank Stadium) and in 2008 were beaten 0-1 by Navua in Suva as well.
“I first played for Labasa as a teenager, and those early experiences in the Fiji FACT were some of the most important in my football journey,” Krishna said in an interview from India.
“I grew up watching big names playing football and follow their footsteps was a dream come true. Representing my hometown team in such a big tournament like the Fiji FACT was a huge honour, and it really helped shape me as a player.”
“I remember reaching the finals quite a few times and finishing as runner-up, wasn’t easy to take. Those days the finals were really tough. With a big fan base like Labasa we had their support which sometimes added to my nerves. I will always fondly remember playing to their cheers and celebrations.
“The competition was always fierce, and every match felt like a battle. We gave our all in each match. Losing those finals were painful but also taught me a lot about determination, teamwork, and what it takes to succeed under pressure and those memories live on in my heart.”
He ventured to New Zealand where he joined Waitakere United in 2008, where he remained until 2013 before he moved to Auckland City.
A year later, he donned the striped black and yellow jersey for the Wellington Phoenix where he remained until 2019.
Switching gears in that same year, he moved to India to play in the Indian Super League: the highest level of the Indian football league system.
His first club was the ATK Football Club in Kolkata, West Bengal where he spent a year with the team.
“Over the years, I’ve watched the FACT grow into an even bigger event, with higher standards and more attention on Fiji’s talent. It’s great to see it continue to inspire young players across the country, especially those from smaller towns and provinces like Labasa,” Krishna added.
“Thank you for featuring me in your FACTfile series as it’s an honour to share my story and celebrate the tournament that has lasted so long. It has boosted Football in Fiji which played such a big role in my early development as a footballer.”
He moved onto ATK Mohun Bagan where he remained until 2022 and then to Bengaluru until 2023.
His latest international stint with Odisha was where he played from 2023 until yesterday when his departure from the club was announced by the club.
Krishna is now married to Naziah Ali-Krishna, a model, business owner and current Fiji Football executive, and they have a child together.
