Fiji 7s team
Did we take and choose the wrong players?
New players who played during the 2023 Oceania and Pacific Games played better than the present players.
It’s back to the old system.
We choose names, rather than game performance!
Luke Kulanikoro, Niukini Settlement, Savusavu
Time for change
This was our pride before but now it is all gone.
I feel Ben Gollings has seen his days.
He may be a good player but not a good coach.
His time is over.
He should be replaced immediately to bring back the glory and pride for our nation.
It is through sevens our rugby players were recognised and recruited all over the world.
Time for change.
Paras Naidu, Lautoka
Review Gollings’ performance!
I reiterate my earlier call that FRU must seriously review the performance of Ben Gollings, the 7s team trainer and team management.
While Fiji is second on the overall points table equal with South Africa and eight points behind Argentina, a lot of improvement is needed in the bid to defend the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games medal.
The hottest team on the circuit, Argentina, was beaten by Fiji, but they went on to win the Cape Town 7s, while Fiji fumbled against Australia.
Our boys found the pressure put on them by the Aussies too much to handle and we lost the plot.
I urge FRU to put in place policies that will govern the performance of Gollings.
I repeat – if he is not performing, he should be fired.
Get a coach who can bring back the glory days of Ben Ryan and Gareth Baber.
The string of losses hurts!
Rajnesh Ishwar Lingam, Nadawa, Nasinu
Full blast
These days, if you happened to be around (or in) vehicles (or shops) which resemble nightclubs, the owners would have most probably been spotted with feet tapping and head shaking.
Their internal organs and ear drum would have been grooving to the music.
All the situation craved for would have been a beer vending machine.
Others would have been left wondering how high is excessively loud.
Full blast!
Sake phat jaye!
The boom box I mean.
Mohammed Imraz Janif, Natabua, Lautoka
Streetlights
The streetlights along Bentley’s Lane, Levuka, hasn’t been working for the last two months, plunging the said lane into pitch darkness upon every nightfall since.
Have been told that it’s FRA’s responsibility.
As it is, they can’t even seem to do a decent job on the potholes strewn all over the lanes, streets and roads, let alone attend to the streetlights.
Who knows, we could be told that the next WAF burst water-main needs to be attended to by EFL.
Kaila.
EFL for electricity, WAF for water and FRA for roads.
Period.
Anyways, can the said streetlights be urgently attended to, please.
Anthony Sahai, Levuka
Israel-Hamas war
The extremely dire catastrophic situation in the now almost totally bombed out Gaza Strip, by Israeli, is impossible to tolerate…. close to total destruction.
Out of 36 hospitals, 25 have been rendered in-operable in 66 days of hell.
Why are the innocent Palestinians being humiliated beyond all acceptable humanitarian norms?
I fail to understand.
An immediate ceasefire and no less, is an all important pre-requisite to save innocent Palestinian women, children, infants, the elderly, the sick and the wounded from certain extermination.
Israel cannot and must not continue to be judge, jury and executioner.
Netanyahu’s extreme right-wing government needs to make way for common sense to prevail under international humanitarian laws.
The world today owes the Palestinians their own State — free from Israeli military and settler occupation.
Both Hamas and Israel must answer to war crimes.
Ronnie Chang, Martintar, Nadi
Sickening issue
Michael Scot couldn’t have put it more succinctly when he said ” what is happening to women and children in Gaza is simply a sickening crime against humanity” (FT 12/12).
What I believe is more sickening is how some of our people are defending the atrocities?
That’s a crying shame!
Rajend Naidu, Sydney, Australia
Fiji 7s team
A big change is required for the 7s team for the next leg which is going to be held in a new venue in Australia.
We have doubts in travelling to Perth from Sydney to watch the games.
The recent performance has raised concern.
What comes next is very much all Fijians in Australia will be looking forward to.
The performance of the boys was not up to par.
Fitness and discipline were the main talking points of this team.
Tomasi Boginiso, Liverpool, NSW, Australia
Saving the day
Another 7s tournament and another disappointing result for the men’s team.
The coach has had enough time to prove his worth.
He has failed miserably.
Fiji has to forget about winning gold at the Olympics with these results.
Gollings has to go, no questions about that.
Only Waisale Serevi or Ratu Peni Rayani Latianara can save the day for Fiji.
SANJEET PRASAD, Mani Rd, Bulileka, Labasa
Release them
Would it be in the best interest of the nation to release several long-term prisoners serving time for their involvement in the coups and for other misdemeanours?
It’s Christmas and maybe the President might consider pardoning George Speight and others who’ve been incarcerated for longer than they should have been.
Giving them the gift of freedom would be the best gift they could receive and you could give.
Colin Deoki, Australia
All Blacks game
The All Blacks are planning to have a Test match against the Flying Fijians next year.
I guess the initial discussion was to have the Test match in Fiji, however, I believe the NZRU is looking at having it played in the United States.
It would be great if the FRU can collaborate with NZRU to have the match played at our HFC Bank Stadium which would be revenue generating for the Fiji economy hence Fiji tourism can also play a vital role with both unions to make this test match in Fiji.
Rahul Krishna, Auckland, New Zealand
Road stats
More than 1500 bookings in a week is shocking.
The offenders keep increasing and we are now planning to get the Road Safety Council revived.
We are planning to take drug tests.
The bottom line is we can continue with strict measures to curb this alarming increase in road accidents and fatalities.
The ownership by each and every driver when behind the steering wheel is paramount.
Don’t blame anyone else.
Manners maketh man and it all starts from home.
Shalwyn Prasad, Mukta Ben Place, Nabua, Suva
War in Gaza
In response to Rakesh Chand Sharma of Nadi, I plead for a little understanding.
I am not unaware of the many sins of the past by my people.
I regret much of what was done to colonised people in many parts of the world.
I have read some of the writings of our Fiji Indians and writings from Africa.
They have helped me to deepen my understanding.
We are all created with differences that enrich our life in community.
We should celebrate this by trying to bring freedom, justice and peace to all.
I was born in Central Africa, where my parents spent some years as Christian missionaries.
I was brought up to understand that ethnicity is a rich diversity that we should enjoy.
I trained as a teacher with the intention of returning to Africa.
The fact that circumstances brought me to Fiji instead did not dampen my desire to give what educational assistance I could to as many as I could.
I have spent my adult life offering much time and energy to assist those who work for human rights.
Even now in my late eighties I am involved with human rights issues, which is why I am so passionate about the cruelty in Gaza.
We cannot undo the past, but we can work to make our world a better place where we can all live and work together in partnership and share the good things that come our way.
Today it is our common greed for the spoils of mining that brings a new form of abuse of human rights.
For instance we use mobile phones: copper is present in the ground of Namosi, copper is needed for our modern devices.
How can we reconcile the mining with the needs of the people of Namosi for their traditional land to be free for their own use?
We must not continue to commit atrocities against others, and not just indigenous people.
I invite Mr Sharma, and others who feel like him, to join us in working for justice, freedom and dignity for all humans.
Tessa Mackenzie, Suva
A day of infamy
T’was a sultry morning that lazy Sunday,
in Pearl Harbour, Hawaii,
when the bombs rain down that day,
from a plane – filled sky,
sinking naval ships anchored in the Harbour and destroying planes sitting on the ground,
turning a quite Sunday quickly asunder,
assets destroyed,
lives lost all around.
T’was December 7th 1941.
Never forgotten day of infamy,
when the Land of the Rising Sun,
made its mark in military history.
It brought USA into WW2, which later led to its long campaigns in Europe, North Africa and the Pacific too.
In their vision and belief they both didn’t stray.
The seemingly payback bombing on Dec 5, hastened the end of WW2, that fateful and historic day in 1945, for Nippon and in faraway Europe too.
But today, these warring countries, have strong and friendly bilateral relations.
No longer bitter foes or violent enemies, they’re now strong trading nations.
Today, that tragic day of infamy, is not only remembered, for the resultant immense tragedy, but also for the many positives much later delivered.
Edward Blakelock, Admiral Circle, Pacific Harbour
