In the vibrant center of Hong Kong, the 2024 Baseball5 World Cup concluded with excitement, spotlighting a notable figure from the South Pacific.
Inoke Niubalavu, a former prominent player for Fiji’s national baseball team, stepped into a new role as the referee for the bronze medal match between France and Venezuela. Niubalavu officiated after managing 15 pool games and utilized an online scoring application throughout the week-long competition of the second edition of the WBSC Baseball5 World Cup.
His journey from the baseball fields of Fiji to officiating on the international stage in Baseball5 illustrates the sport’s expanding global appeal and the opportunities it creates for enthusiastic individuals worldwide.
Niubalavu’s baseball career began in the early 2000s after he attended the MLB Australian Academy in 2002. His talent soon became evident, and he became a pivotal player for the Fijian national team. During the 2003 South Pacific Games, he led the event with an extraordinary .529 batting average and scored six runs, more than any of his teammates. He also represented Fiji at the 2007 Pacific Games in Samoa and the 2011 Pacific Games in New Caledonia. As his playing career advanced, Niubalavu grew increasingly dedicated to the sport.
By 2009, he transitioned to become the Development Officer for the Fiji Islands Baseball Association, marking the start of his journey from player to sports administrator.
Looking forward, Niubalavu is concentrating on the future of Baseball5 in Fiji. With the sport making its debut at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games, he is determined to prepare Fiji’s youth Baseball5 team for the upcoming qualifiers. As the sport continues to grow—with the next World Cup planned for Italy in 2026 and expansions to 16 teams—Niubalavu’s position as both a national leader and an international official places him at the forefront of the sport’s development.