Drua wins thriller
IN a bid to redeem our status, Seruvakula made a number of changes to the Fiji Airways Drua side against the winless Sydney Rays outfit. This paid dividends as our boys returned home victorious. Dyer, Manu, Naqali and Vularika earned their first starts for the season. Rabukawaqa and Atunaisa made their campaign debuts while Veitokani was shifted to fullback and Waqatabu was relegated to the bench. I was eager to see a dramatic improvement and an early start but I guess our boys gave the Rays space and opportunity in the first half an hour and the hosts gained confidence and almost edged us. In addition, the performance from the Fiji Drua was not impressive in the first half which was marred by a lack of accuracy, poor decision-making, too many knock-ons, individual play, giving away penalties and the failure to utilise opportunities in the opposition half. The Drua made mistakes and got carried away as they trailed the Rays. However, things got better in the second spell. Communication improved, our passes were sticking, the boys played as a team and the backs and forwards got connected and it rained tries. Finally, the Drua outscored the Rays 6 tries to 5. The Rays were lucky enough to grab their first point of the season with a bonus. After watching the match, I have a feeling that a lot of effort is needed if we are to win the NRC title. Our boys seem to lose the plot easily when they play away from home. NSW Country Eagles, who lost to Canberra Vikings (24-17) at home, is our next opponent. The Eagles are second last on the points table with 5 points but will prove tough customers. The Drua need a polished effort and another bonus point win to seal top spot after Force and former 7s star Dakuwaqa ended the Daugunu-inspired Queensland Country’s unbeaten run. Finally, I am adamant of a better performance from the Drua and Lomani, Vularika, Kurumudu and Daveta if we are to beat the Eagles on Saturday. Tovolea mada boys! RAJNESH ISHWAR LINGAM Nadawa, Nasinu
Rubbish woes
I KNOW why rubbish is strewn all over the place at festivals. People don’t care. The bins are small, I have seen bins at the Sugar Festival that were overflowing and rubbish piled up beside it and paper blowing away in the wind. I saw parents with children leave food wrappers and styrofoam food containers where they sat to eat and walk away. Children now do the same. Why not have a few of those large commercial bins that are brought by lorries so that cleaning contractors can simply empty the smaller bins into them on a constant basis. Will it cost too much? If someone says it will cost too much, how much do we value our environment? Anyway, I feel it’s a more efficient way to keep the festivals clean rather than wait until the end of the day to clean up the eyesore. MERE LAGILAGI Lovu, Lautoka
School mood
THE school year is about to come to an end and this is the time when children become ill-disciplined and out of control. The thought of holidays gives them extra joy maybe and they are involved in a lot of issues such as drugs, smoking and getting into brawls. Just this week I had to step in between two students of my school who were on the verge of starting a mass brawl at lunch hour. Being a prefect, I had to intervene and send both parties away and just seconds later we all were thrown a bottle full of water by the onlookers. I believe such behaviour should not be tolerated at school and that school is meant for teaching and learning. Parents should also advise their children on what is right and what is wrong and advocate good moral values to them. RAYNAV CHAND Nakasi
Awesome event
ON Saturday (22/09) evening, the FMF Gymnasium in Laucala Bay, Suva was filled with the diversity of dance and music as the Fiji School of Medicine Students’ Association (FSMedSA) staged an outstanding and unforgettable cultural night with the theme “Journey through Time: The Voyage”. This awesome event was proudly sponsored and supported by the FNU Student Association. The admissions were affordable and absolutely worth more than the value given the three and a half hours of continuous quality entertainment. The dances, music and costumes of the different cultures was something I had enjoyed as it showcased our true identity and rich heritage of the Pacific way. Overall the performances from the various cultural student groups were excellent which included Fiji, Rotuma, Tuvalu, Federated States of Micronesia, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Vanuatu, Tonga, Kiribati and the other beautiful Pacific Island countries. However, in the cross-cultural performances the students from the Kingdom of Tonga and Kiribati stole the show with their exceptional performance. The four months of preparatory work by the FSMedSA organising committee truly paid off as the event was a grand success and phenomenal one to remember. The event media partner, Fiji TV, did an excellent job by making it possible for those who could not attend to access this via live stream especially to our distant Pacific Island countries and around the globe. Stage Tech’s expertise in lights and sounds was magnificent as it contributed to the quality of the various performances. Oh and how can we forget the amazing and stunning MC for making the show lively and glamorous. Vinaka vakalevu once again to the hardworking FSMedSA, organising committee, students and their families, friends, supporters and volunteers for a job well done. We look forward to more monumental cultural nights in the years to come. Cheers! SPENCER ROBINSON
Suva
Talkback show
I believe the media personnel who invited the NFP leader Biman Prasad on the TV show should have been more organised in their presentation. Both the media personnel were rushing in with the set of questions, giving little time to the leader to explain himself and about the party. It was clearly seen that once Biman Prasad calmly began to answer the questions, the presenters were always jumping in with question after question, giving little time for the leader to clearly explain, and yet the presenters kept saying that they were pressed for time. I believe the presenters displayed lack of understanding of Fijian politics and most of the time the co-ordination between them was missing, showing clearly that both were confused on screen. During the show the NFP leader corrected them on many occasions and the set of prepared questions for the show I believe was not well researched. If the party leader is not given enough time on air to explain himself and the party’s position then I believe it is a waste of time for the party to accept such invites where the host wishes to dictate the rules of the game. I believe that if the particular TV station is pressed for time in delivering the show, then better not air the show at all because it is unfair on the invitees to be pressed for quick answers. I believe this concerns the image of the party leadership and the party overall. NFP leader could have delivered way above in the show but it is sad to see that presenters were pressed for time because both of them were asking anything and everything without proper research. I will suggest the TV station to have qualified personnel to host such shows which is of national interest. Also if invites are extended then the invitees should be given more air time since they are there not to fill the seat but representing for a reason. Gulsher Ali Lautoka
Great inspiration
My family and I follow the Drua’s progress in the present series. Looking at the games the scores were Drua 40 — Melbourne Rising 17. Then they thrashed Brisbane City 66-5. We were elated. Then the next game they lost to Queensland Country 52-22. My sons play rugby and we looked forward to the game against the Sydney Rays, what a comeback they made to win 31- 34. So far they have three wins and one loss. That tells me that the team is good. Good on you boys for putting up a gallant fight. My sons hope to one day don the Fiji rugby jersey and you have been an inspiration. But like some writers have mentioned, and may I add, would the New Zealand Rugby Union please give us an opportunity to play in their local provincial tournament. Vinaka vakalevu. Mere Lagilagi Lovu, Lautoka
Method of interview
The company which operates a regular Sunday evening TV program which hosts politicians among other guests should relook at their method of interview. From last Sunday’s show (23/09), the hosts asked the questions but did not afford the guest sufficient time to respond with excuses of “pressed for time” to cut short the answers which required some details. If they were pressed for time then cut down on the number of questions. It really was a frustrating experience when the explanations from the guest were frequently cut short. Emosi Balei Suva
TV program
What is the correct title for FBCTV’s popular program “Bati Ni Tanoa”? Is it “Bati Ni Tanoa” (BTN) or “Batini Tanoa” (BT)? I always thought it was the latter. The difference in meaning is both wide and clear. Edward Blakelock Admiral Circle, Pacific Harbour
On telly
Hear, hear Dr Prasad. Bravo! Brilliant! Absolutely killed it, as the saying goes. If you had ever wanted to hear articulate. If you had ever wanted to know intelligent. If you had ever wanted to see “calm and collected”. Oh! For the record’s sake. MANOJ LAL PATEL Drasa Avenue, Lautoka
Power packed
Indeed power pack line-up (FT 21/09) as highlighted by Nishant Singh. The soccer coach has a masters and postgraduate qualification with diploma in tropical agriculture and Bachelor of Education in Agriculture. Pooh! Kaise baat! Abhinesh Raj Kabisi, Sigatoka
General election
We seem to have everything pertaining to the general election at the ready. Polling stations and personnel, advertisements, political parties, a supervisor of elections, a phone app that will tell of voting results, but a date. Iliesa Baravilala Natabua Housing, Lautoka
What party
I kaila’d when I read Neil Billings letter. Vinaka Neil, I just want to reassure you that it won’t be Dracula’s party. Allen Lockington Kava Place, Waiyavi, Lautoka
Jaywalking issue
It’s like a sport in Fiji. It’s even more popular than our beloved rugby. Cecelia Nainima Vatulaulau, Ba
Airport issue
I landed at Nausori International Airport in August this year and the first thing I noticed was the cracked up tarmac. I also noticed it was so neatly patched up. Could somebody from AFL let us know why this airport tarmac got cracked up. Sukha Singh Labasa
Olympics memory
A little throwback to when Fiji won the Olympics gold medal in 2016. I suddenly recalled the moments of pure joy and emotions which united a nation with pride and glory. Hope to see more victories coming our way. Go Baber! Raynav Chand Nakasi
