THE Nasinu Primary Schools Sports Association is determined to defend its titles this season following last year’s historic triumph at the 50th Anniversary Inter-District Championship in Nadi.
Association president Ravneel Prasad said winning the national under-14 boys’ soccer title was one of the biggest milestones achieved during his five-year tenure.
“One of our biggest milestones was winning the 50th Anniversary Inter-District Championship last year at King Charles Park where Nasinu was crowned the under-14 champions of Fiji soccer,” Prasad said.
“I think after two or three decades, Nasinu was declared the winner of IDC.”
Prasad said the association was now focused on maintaining its dominance in upcoming Southern Zone and national competitions.
“Winning is easy, but defending is very hard,” he said.
“One of our major goals and top priorities is defending both the titles that we won last year.”
He said coaches were already scouting elite players during the current inter-primary tournament as preparations begin for the Southern Zone Primary Schools Tournament at Ajax Stadium in week 11.
Nasinu will field teams in the under-12, under-14 girls’ soccer and under-14 boys’ soccer divisions.
Prasad said the district still carried the confidence of being the defending Southern Zone under-14 boys’ champions.
The annual Nasinu Primary Schools tournament has continued to expand despite challenges faced by organisers.
This year’s competition attracted nine schools, up from seven last year, highlighting the growing interest in school sports within the district.
Prasad said financial constraints and balancing personal time remained the biggest challenges for executives and teachers involved in organising the event.
“When it comes to sports, finance is one of the biggest challenges,” he said.
“We are teachers, but we sacrifice our family time and personal time to organise these tournaments.”
He also thanked loyal sponsors and supporters who continued to invest in the development of school sports in Nasinu.
Prasad said the long-term goal remained building strong grassroots pathways that could produce future representatives for Nasinu and Fiji football.
