The Labasa Town Council is considering the possibility of hosting the Fiji Football Association’s FMF Inter District Championship (IDC) tournament. This comes after the Extra Supermarket Labasa football team secured victory in this year’s IDC tournament held in Lautoka.
Council special administrator Paul Jaduram stated that hosting the tournament would be significant, as Labasa last held the IDC in 1975, marking 50 years since. The town previously hosted the event in 1969 as well.
Jaduram noted that there are certain requirements set by Fiji FA that must be fulfilled before bringing the tournament to Labasa. One of the main requirements is to have two and a half playing pitches available at Subrail Park, as nearly 20 district teams are expected to compete across three divisions.
The main pitch would be designated for the Super Premier competition, while the Premier and Senior division matches could take place on the second ground. The additional half pitch would serve for training and warm-up activities. He mentioned that the newly constructed Fiji FA Labasa Academy has two standard pitches that could be used as alternative venues for the Premier and Senior games.
Despite the request to host the IDC, Jaduram also indicated that the council is looking towards the year 2026 to potentially bring the tournament back to Labasa. As the former president of Labasa FA, he expressed his commitment to making this happen.
In addition to the sporting aspect, he highlighted the economic benefits of hosting the IDC, as it would attract football fans from Viti Levu and beyond, contributing to the town’s economy during the week-long event.
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