In a dramatic upset at the Coca‑Cola Ba Zone athletics meet yesterday, Ba Sangam College’s senior girls 4x100m relay team crossed the line first at Churchill Park in Lautoka, denying rival Ba Methodist High School a clean sweep of the event from sub‑junior through to senior grades. The quartet’s gold came after a chaotic assembly when officials initially could not find their names on the start list and asked the team to leave the tent.
Humiliated and disheartened, the four athletes turned away from the track, only to be recalled to the assembly shed moments later. With a second chance in hand, they regrouped, lined up and produced a blistering run to take the title — a victory their team leader, Ana Naviri of Nauria, Nalawa, Ra, attributed to faith and resolve. “They did not have our names, but God had already drafted us to run this race,” Naviri said after the race. “We trusted God’s plan, we believed in ourselves, and we ran the race. Our main goal was to win the senior girls, and we thank God for this win.”
The result was a stinging outcome for Ba Methodist High School, which had looked set to dominate the Ba Zone competition after sweeping lower age divisions earlier in the meet. Ba Sangam’s senior relay upset underlined the fine margins of school athletics and turned the spotlight on a team that had briefly been written out of the programme on paper but not on the track.
Organisers held the two‑day meet at Lautoka’s Churchill Park, where dozens of schools from the Ba zone competed across track and field events. While Ba Methodist collected multiple titles across sub‑junior and junior grades, the senior girls’ relay showcased the depth of competition and the possibility of upsets as schools prepare for the national stage.
Elsewhere, the Triple N Zone meet in Suva concluded yesterday with Nakasi High School taking the boys’ title and Adi Cakobau School winning the girls’ division, signalling strong contenders emerging from other regions as the season progresses. With zone meets wrapped up, schools are now turning their attention to the Fiji Finals at the HFC National Stadium in Suva, scheduled for April 30 to May 1.
Ba Sangam’s senior girls will carry momentum and a renewed sense of belief into the national finals, while the incident over missing names is likely to prompt teams and officials to tighten administrative checks ahead of Suva. The upset at Churchill Park serves as a reminder that in relay racing, registration errors may shame athletes briefly, but a swift recall and composure on the track can produce headline‑making results.
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