The Coca-Cola Games kick off today at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva with organisers and police moving to reassure parents and supporters that the national secondary schools athletics championship will be safe and secure.
Fiji Secondary Schools Athletics Association secretary and competition director Biu Colati told a media briefing yesterday that preparations were complete and officials were ready to manage the three-day event. “Everything that needs to be put in place is now ready. All our officials’ briefings have been done, the managers briefing has been done,” Colati said, adding that safety was a paramount consideration as the Games run through to Saturday.
Security has been markedly stepped up for the 2026 championship. Divisional Police Commander – Southern, Superintendent of Police Luke Cereasiga said more than 200 police officers will be deployed around the HFC Bank Stadium and across Suva, working around the clock to protect athletes, officials and spectators. For the first time in the Games’ history, vehicle checks will be carried out on all vehicles entering and leaving the stadium, a measure Cereasiga described as part of adjustments learned from previous years. “Our posture and strategy on the ground remains the same. Otherwise, it’s slightly increased; the momentum this year with a few of the changes that we have learned from the past years to improve and make sure the environment for the Coca-Cola Games 2026 is safe,” he told reporters.
Organisers say this year’s staging is large in scale. The championship features 155 secondary schools with more than 2,000 athletes expected to compete, and organisers anticipate thousands of spectators over the three days. Cereasiga noted that about 150 schools were already staying in Suva, underscoring the need for the intensified security footprint around accommodation and transport routes as well as at the stadium.
Colati and police completed a joint security briefing before the press conference, and Colati used the opportunity to reassure anxious parents and guardians. “I can assure you that our games will be safe and your kids are going to be in safe hands,” he said, emphasising that all official briefings and preparatory work had been concluded ahead of the opening events.
Organising committee member Lawrence Tikaram, representing Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, urged fans to exercise restraint online as well as in person. Tikaram warned that social media commentary can affect athletes and their families and called on supporters to keep criticism constructive. “As you can see, social media plays a very big part of the Games and I really ask as well that people posting online be mindful of what they say… because at the centre of this remains the athlete,” he said, adding that families, schools and communities also feel the impact of online banter.
The combination of increased police presence, vehicle screening and messaging about respectful conduct online represents the latest effort by organisers and law enforcement to ensure the Coca-Cola Games 2026 proceed without incident. With the event beginning today and scheduled to conclude on Saturday, authorities say the heightened security arrangements will remain in place for the duration of the championship.