All gate takings from Ba FC’s Extra Premier League clash with Suva FC this Sunday will be donated to the medical treatment of former Ba striker and Fiji international Tuimasi Manuca, Ba Football Association president Praneel Dayal confirmed on Friday. The 40-year-old ex-player is battling lung and brain cancer, and the district is calling on supporters to fill Govind Park to help meet urgent treatment costs.
Dayal urged a strong turnout, describing the fundraiser as a chance for the football community to rally behind a player who “gave his heart and soul” to the black jersey. “Now it’s time for us as a football family to stand with him during the toughest match of his life. We need every seat filled. This is our chance to show that the Ba community stands together,” he said, adding that every ticket purchased will go toward “helping Tuimasi with his tests, chemotherapy and recovery.”
Manuca’s playing career saw him don the Ba kit from 2005 to 2009, before a stint with Papua New Guinea’s Hekari United FC until 2011 and a later return to the Men in Black. He also represented the Fiji national team, earning six caps and scoring one goal. Dayal said the association’s decision to redirect match revenue reflects both Manuca’s contributions to the club and the district’s sense of responsibility toward a former player now facing life-threatening illness.
The match against Suva FC will therefore carry added significance beyond league points, as supporters’ presence directly translates to funds for Manuca’s medical needs. Organisers have framed the event as both a sporting fixture and a community fundraiser, with Dayal stressing the urgency of raising money for diagnostic tests and ongoing chemotherapy.
Fijian sport has a recent history of using fixtures to support health causes. Last year, proceeds from a Warriors rugby match were earmarked for breast cancer awareness and local cancer services, a precedent organisers say underlines how teams and fans can mobilise quickly when a player or family is in crisis. Ba’s move follows that community-minded tradition, tapping into strong local support for the Men in Black.
Details on specific ticketing arrangements and whether additional fundraising activities will take place on match day have not yet been released. For now, club officials are focused on one message: fill Govind Park on Sunday to back Manuca in his fight. The match will provide a public measure of the district’s solidarity as Manuca seeks the tests and treatment his doctors recommend.
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