Pacific sprint king Banuve Tabakaucoro has called for improvements in the use of electronic starter guns at the 2026 Coca-Cola Games Championship, after technical faults led to a number of false starts and restarts in sprint events on Thursday and Friday.
Tabakaucoro, reflecting on the disruption, said: “If we can polish up on them in the future, that will be really great.”
Some sprints, whether heats or finals, were delayed as athletes struggled to hear the starter gun due to background noise or the gun failing to fire on cue.
This issue created confusion and frustration among spectators and supporters who voiced their concerns over the false starts.
Officials explained the delays were due to technical malfunctions before instructing athletes to take their marks again.
While Tabakaucoro urged officials to refine the performance of the starter guns, he also acknowledged their hard work.
“I think the officials are pretty much working overtime as well for these kids,” he said.
“This is a high-pressure situation too, so they are only human, and I understand what they are going through.”
The ongoing dilemma with the starter guns comes as the Fiji Secondary Schools Athletics Association continues to use them, a step forward from previous years when hand clappers and blank rounds were employed.
Despite the challenges, Tabakaucoro emphasised that the Fiji Finals had made significant progress, but improvements are needed for the future.
