The Fiji men’s national netball team is preparing for its first international tournament. Head coach Jioeli Makare announced that the team received an invitation from Singapore netball. The official 15-member squad is set to be unveiled this week following trials that took place last Saturday at the Fiji National University gymnasium in Nasinu.
The team has been training for the past six weeks. Makare expressed excitement, stating, “This is the first time that the men’s team will be traveling overseas for an international tournament.” He mentioned that six countries have confirmed participation, including Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, England, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
Looking ahead, Makare hopes this tournament will mark the beginning of many international competitions for the Fiji men’s team. He shared that trials were conducted earlier this year in March but included only local players, as there were no overseas-based members. The trial schedule has been posted on the Netball Fiji page.
The coach has submitted the final squad to the executive committee for approval and is anticipating feedback this week. Additionally, Makare expressed his aspiration for netball to become an Olympic sport, highlighting World Netball’s collaboration with Netball Australia to advocate for netball’s inclusion in the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.
In related news, the Suva Swifts clinched the Finance Hub Super League title by defeating Lautoka 69-35 last Saturday. The Swifts featured several members of the Pearls extended squad, including standout player Unaisi Rauluni, who earned the Most Valuable Player (MVP) title. Other notable players from the Pearls included Avelina Navue, Maliana Rusivakula, and Reama Verekauta.
Head coach Filo Korovulavula dedicated the victory to the Suva Netball Association committee and their sponsor, Netball IGA. She expressed enthusiasm for next year, aiming to send a team to Australia, especially focusing on development players. Korovulavula praised both the performance of her senior players and the effective integration of younger players on the court.
The results of the recent matches include:
Final: Suva Swifts 69-35 Lautoka Stars
Fifth-place play-off: Nadroga Stallions 28-61 Baby Pearls Team Kikau
Seventh-place playoff: Nadi 20-30 Tailevu Doves.