A bond that began in the 1970s between the late Viliame Takayawa Snr and retired schoolteacher Kiofumi Manada Sensei remains strong today. Viliame Takayawa Snr, known as the ‘Father of Judo’ in Fiji, formed a connection with Manada Sensei while studying at a university in Japan, where their shared passion for judo blossomed.
This friendship continued as Viliame’s sons took up the sport, including three-time Olympian Nacanieli Takayawa, who trained under Manada Sensei’s expert mentorship. Nacanieli competed in the Olympic Games in 1992, 1996, and 2002 and also secured a Gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester in 2002.
Thirty years later, a select group of Fijian judokas now has the opportunity to receive scholarships to train and study with elite athletes in Japan. Manada Sensei has also made trips to Fiji, bringing his students from Nihon Gakuen High School to engage in training sessions with local athletes.
Nacanieli Takayawa shared his experiences, saying, “Every summer holiday I used to travel to Japan and stay with Kiofumi Manada Sensei, the coach of Nihon Gakuen High School. As a teenager, going to Japan for training significantly improved my skills. They train six days a week, and since my initial stay during my early teenage years, the Sensei has visited Fiji every two years, bringing high school students to train with our athletes.”
Continuing this tradition, Kiofumi Manada Sensei arrived in Suva recently with six judokas from Nihon Gakuen High School and two others from a local club in Japan to engage with Fijian athletes. “It’s a great experience for our athletes to compete with highly skilled judo practitioners from abroad—this is an advantage for our judokas,” Nacanieli stated.
“This collaboration, rooted in the friendship that began in the 70s when my dad was the national head coach, has led to opportunities for athletes to study and secure scholarships at Ryutsu Keizai University, enabling three out of our four athletes to represent Fiji at the Olympics,” he added.
The strong connection has fostered deeper relationships between Fijian judokas and their Japanese counterparts through training and cultural exchanges. Nacanieli also expressed gratitude for the support of the Fijian government, the Fiji Sports Commission, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and sponsors such as FMF and Air Pacific (now Fiji Airways) for their ongoing contribution to sustaining the sport of judo in Fiji.