LANKY, masculine, you can’t miss her in the Fijiana team.
But, her love for sports which is usually known to be a man’s sport started with soccer.
Litia Naiqato started at an early age and later was part of the women’s soccer team to the 2007 Pacific Games in Samoa and it was from there that she realised that women’s rugby also existed in the country.
Many may be asking where she hails from, some who view their games live on television, have even linked her capabilities in running with the ball and offloading to that of “Man Mountain” Semisi Naevo.
But do not be mistaken, She is not from Nadi, neither from the Western side where Fiji has many well-known rugby players.
Today, you can’t miss her in the Fijiana 7s team, masculine in built, stands out in the crowd of Fijiana players but one player that has the heart of gold and easy to speak to.
Naiqato, only 28-years-old is originally from Dakuinuku Village in Tailevu but has been living with her parents at their farm in Namau, also in Tailevu North.
Naiqato was educated at the Lodoni Primary School in Tailevu before she moved to Tailevu North College, the same school the Fijiana team went to, a fortnight ago to assist in cleaning it after the devastation of Cyclone Winston on the school.
She said it was at the Tailevu North School that she also started her love for soccer from when she joined to be a form three (Year 9) student.
“So I started playing soccer from there and in 2006, I went on to represent Fiji in the U20 women’s soccer team for the Oceania,” Naiqato said.
In 2007 she went on to represent Fiji and that was also where she made up her mind to try out with the oval ball.
In 2009, a teammate from the national women’s soccer team invited her to join the Ricketts club.
“Changing from soccer to rugby was a bit tough for me, I was used to kicking the ball around and now I had to run with the ball in my hands,” Naiqato said.
“In 2010, I took a break because I found it a little bit hard to travel from the village to come to training and in 2011 I decided to give it another go,” the Dakuinuku native said.
She said then she decided that she would give herself another chance and 2012 she made the Fijiana team.
Naiqato now plays prop in the short code and many call her as “Arnold” a nickname she said she was given by a friend from Burerua in their school days at Tailevu North.
“That nickname started when we decided to play cowboys and we were told to change our names to that of actors, so this friend who is now a teacher told me that I was to use Arnold, from that day on everyone in school called me Arnold and has been the case until today,” Naiqato said.
Today, she has not regretted the move and has been happy with her progress.
“I’m happy that I made that decision and since my inclusion into the Fijiana team I have made it a point to not miss any leg of the series, and my aim is to get into that Rio team.
“All I have been doing now is watching my diet and continuing with my daily training exercise.”
Naiqato is training with the Fijiana team for the next USA leg in Atlanta and Canada.
