WITH less than a week to go until the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Team Fiji’s 59-member squad is poised and ready for the international competition.
Chef de Mission Ajay Balu confirmed that everything is progressing according to plan, with the entire team expected to come together ahead of the opening ceremony.
“The athletes are all geared up, we’ve done our second medicals and according to our results there are no injuries,” he said.
Team Fiji comprises of 36 athletes and 14 support staff from eight different sporting bodies.
The Fiji Amateur Boxing team was the first to depart on July 28, completing their preparations in England before joining the rest of the team in Glasgow next week.
On August 9, Fiji’s para-athlete Sitiveni Konataci and his coach also left for Scotland.
They will attend a GAPS meeting before joining Team Fiji for the opening ceremony.
The first wave, consisting of about 20 people from various sports, is scheduled to depart by the end of the week.
“On the 19th of August this Sunday we are going with the first wave which is about 20 people,” Balu explained.
“So that’s bowling, swimming, medical and HQ leaving the shore to Scotland.”
The national weightlifting team will follow as the second wave, departing on August 21, while the third wave, Fiji’s judo team, will leave from Tokyo to Scotland on August 23.
These staggered departures are in line with the Commonwealth Games’ length of stay policy.
“This means one game is done on the second or third day you’re back in your country and then next people come in and stay,” Balu added.
The Glasgow Commonwealth Games will run from July 28 to August 2, marking an exciting chapter for Team Fiji on the world stage.
