Anish Khem achieved a significant milestone in the Inter District Championship (IDC), lifting the trophy with Labasa for the second time, 13 years after his first victory. Khem, who was part of Fiji’s Olympic team in 2016, traveled from his home in Melbourne, Australia, to represent Labasa in the absence of his younger brother, Ashnil Raju, who missed the tournament due to family commitments following the birth of his son.
Khem expressed the emotional significance of his participation, stating, “It’s a special moment as I made this trip all for my family.” He wore his brother’s Number 12 jersey throughout the tournament to honor Ashnil’s love for football and to feel a deeper connection as a sibling. Khem noted that while his brother jokingly wished him not to take his place, he felt confident he could do justice to the jersey.
Winning the tournament also allowed Khem to dedicate the victory to his family, particularly to his nephew. He plans to tell him in the future that the trophy was won for him because his father could not attend. Khem also paid tribute to a close family friend, a devoted Labasa fan who recently passed away, expressing that he would have been proud of the team’s achievement.
Reflecting on his preparations, Khem credited his fitness to participating in the Sanatan World Cup in Sydney and adapted well to his team’s game strategy during the IDC. He mentioned that he initially played in an attacking position but transitioned to a defensive role and contributed significantly to the team’s performance.
The final match against Navua was a challenging affair, with Khem acknowledging that they had previously lost to them in the pool stage. He emphasized the difficulty of the match and the pressure of the penalty shootout. Khem noted the importance of scoring the first penalty, which set the tone for his teammates’ morale.
With the IDC victory behind him, Khem looks forward to spending time with his family in Labasa before potentially returning for the upcoming Pacific Community Cup, either as a guest player for the Ravneel Pratap coached side or by representing the Australian All Stars.