The recent victory of the Crest Fiji men’s netball team at the Nations Cup in Singapore has created new prospects for the future. Following their achievement, the team has received invitations to participate in next year’s Men’s Nations Cup and an Australian tournament.
Netball Fiji’s president, RubyAnn Sorovaki, highlighted the team’s thrilling win against the Australia Under-20 side, which concluded with a narrow score of 55-54 and secured them the Merlion Cup—one of the federation’s key accomplishments this year. Sorovaki also mentioned that the 2025 schedule would feature the Pearls’ participation in the PacificAus Sports series.
“Opportunities abound – the men’s team has been invited to tournaments in Australia and Singapore,” Sorovaki noted. Additionally, the Baby Pearls are gearing up for rigorous preparations for the upcoming Netball World Youth Cup (NWYC) in Gibraltar.
Sorovaki expressed gratitude towards the Government and the Fiji National Sports Commission for their support, which has included funding for local tournaments and a planned Under-21 Tri Nations Cup, alongside an international men’s tournament. She also highlighted aspirations to host a 17-and-under tournament, pending funding and sponsorship, to nurture the next generation of Under-21 players as the current group transitions into the Pearls.
Netball Fiji has seen other notable successes, including the Fiji Pearls maintaining their 14th rank from last year and being honored as Organization of the Year at the 2023 National Sports Awards. Sorovaki noted that the Under-21 team’s experience in the Cook Islands was particularly enlightening in terms of assessing the competitive level they are facing.
Further achievements include upskilling technical officials and having top umpire Litia Rabitu officiate at the NWYC regional qualifiers. Additional funding from World Netball has also been secured under the Strategic Development Fund for governance efforts. Training sessions for administrators, technical support staff, and volunteers are in the pipeline, complemented by countrywide rallies to promote netball activity throughout the year.
In exciting news, Netball Fiji is set to announce a new chief executive officer and head coach for the Pearls soon, which may signal a strong leadership direction for the sport moving forward.
By fostering talent and ensuring robust support systems, Netball Fiji is paving the way for a bright and promising future in netball, with hopes of nurturing both current and emerging players successfully.
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