Exposure at the 2025 Fiji Primary & Secondary Schools national swimming championship was the main concern for the Latter-Day Saints Church College swimming team this year.
Head coach and former Fiji rep Makereta Niumataiwalu expressed her main concern for the team’s performance, with 17 swimmers representing the school this year, the team has shown improvement compared to previous years.
“We have 17 swimmers this year, so far on day one the competition has been great, some big ques but we managed to get a bronze medal, we did expect it but it was a great performance,” said Niumataiwalu.
“For this year bringing 17 swimmers is really a big step, last year we had only two participants so happy for the students that was keen and intrusted in the sport of swimming this year.”
Niumataiwalu acknowledged the challenges faced during preparations, such as shy and hesitant swimmers who were new to the team.
“The preparations were okay we had a few setbacks; some kids were few and they were shy to hop in cause its this new year, and we are hoping, we will work on our swimmers we got this year and come out next year with a great team.
As a former national swimmer herself, Niumataiwalu emphasised the importance of consistent training for the team.
She noted that the short timeframe between the start of school and the competition posed a challenge, but she commended the swimmers for their commitment to training both in the mornings and afternoons.
“I see the competition as a club swimmer, we train morning and afternoon so the fact that we only start with the schools from February it is a short time, but the fact that they want to be here and they put the initiative to come training is very impressive.
Participating in the national championship has provided valuable exposure for the team, and Niumataiwalu is confident that the experience will benefit them in future competitions.
She looks forward to building a stronger team next year and potentially securing more medals for the school.
In the upcoming events today, the team will have multiple swimmers competing in the 50-freestyle race, and Niumataiwalu is hopeful that they will come away with some medals.
She expressed gratitude to the parents for their support and to the students for giving their all in the competition.
