National athletics coach Albert Miller has warned that this year’s Coca‑Cola Games will produce “fierce competition”, with no obvious favourite emerging in the blue‑ribbon senior boys’ event as schools ramp up preparation in the run‑up to the finals. The Games, also known as the Fiji Finals, are scheduled for April 30–May 1 at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.
Miller made the comments on the sidelines of the 2026 Fiji National Athletics Championships and Final Trials Oceania Championships, which began at HFC Bank Stadium yesterday and conclude today. The former Olympian and national decathlete said times from intermediate-level races have been encouraging, but senior boys are yet to show a clear standout performance. “We have good running times recorded from the intermediate level, while the senior boys are struggling to run 11 seconds, so there will be fierce competition in the blue‑ribbon senior boys,” he said.
The coach pointed to results from several recent zone meetings as further evidence that this year’s Coca‑Cola Games will be unusually open. “I think everyone is getting serious about preparing themselves accordingly in the next few weeks before the Coca‑Cola Games 2026,” Miller said, noting that a number of athletes have stepped up intensity in training and are contesting more closely at the zone level.
To sharpen athletes for the finals, Miller said a “high level and high intensity” training programme will be implemented over the coming weeks, and he urged Athletics Fiji to stage additional lead‑up competitions if possible. He added that while the competition is producing a few promising individuals, “there is still no real outstanding athlete to focus on during the Coke Games this year,” signaling an unpredictable sprint field.
Organisers are also dealing with heavy demand for entry into national events. Miller confirmed a significant turnout at the Fiji National Athletics Championships today and said registrations—officially closed last Friday—have continued to arrive because of overwhelming interest. He noted that although the championships have eliminated a number of hopefuls, additional entries are still coming in from the West.
The heightened contest comes as several schools aim to unseat the reigning champions: Marist Brothers High School in the boys’ division and Mahatma Gandhi Memorial High School in the girls’. With time trials showing depth at intermediate levels and no clear frontrunner among seniors, the upcoming Coca‑Cola Games are shaping up to be a closely fought battle for titles and school bragging rights when the finals arrive at HFC Bank Stadium at the end of April.
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