BEACHCOMBER received this from a regular contributor from the West.
When I started work as a Customs officer in 1977, we had an inter department sports competition going on.
And we all used to go and train at Suva Grammar School grounds. We were all suntanned and fit. I can’t think of anyone who had a potbelly.
There was soccer, 7s rugby, darts, snooker, netball, troop 10 and the Fijian version — the warotu — and table tennis.
Almost all the government departments were represented.
I got to meet and know other civil servants and when there was a need to check on something in another department, I knew who to call. Communication was easy. We had PSC Day and also the Qionibaravi Challenge, which included swimming.
During a Qionibaravi Challenge at Suva Grammar School, our team was told to field one athlete for the swimming races.
We didn’t have a swim team, but one of the boys was a good swimmer and we volunteered him. He protested saying he didn’t have swimming trunks.
One of the swimmers from another department gave him his shorts and he went to the starting line.
The starter called, “On your marks, get set, go.”
They all dove into the pool and took off.
Meanwhile, our boy was struggling where he dived.
We called out, “Hey what’s happening, swim”. He called back, “Wait man”.
Then we realised his problem, the shorts had come off, it was too big.
We all had a good laugh, especially the young female spectators. Oh boy, did we have fun back in those days.
