Lautoka’s primary school netball contingent returned from Labasa triumphant after two of its teams captured division titles at the Crest Fiji Primary Schools Netball Tournament. The city’s under-10 and under-12 sides not only reached the finals but went on to win their respective grades, a result the team manager said reflected months of targeted preparation and strong community support.
Lanieta Takala, manager of the Lautoka group, said preparation extended beyond on-court drills to include physical, mental, spiritual and financial readiness. “We really had to prepare well, physically, mentally, spiritually, and financially,” she said, noting that the holistic approach was deliberately adopted to ready the girls for tough opposition. Takala praised the players’ resilience and composure throughout the competition in Labasa.
The Lautoka contingent was large: 144 girls comprising two teams at each grade from under-9 to under-14 — an average of 12 players per team — supported by 42 teachers and parents. Takala highlighted the logistical and financial planning that went into sending such a group north. Each player was initially levied $250 to cover costs, but the levy was eased after schools contributed $60 per child. To further ease the burden on families, the team organised a fundraising walkathon to help players who could not meet the full fee. “The parents really worked together with us,” Takala said. “Whatever was collected helped reduce the burden for them.”
Takala credited regular weekend and holiday club competitions for sharpening the young players. “Most of these players compete in club games every Saturday and during the holidays, which really helped their development,” she said, pointing to the importance of consistent match exposure in building skills and game temperament. That regular competitive environment, she added, helped the players handle the pressure of knockout matches in Labasa.
Another factor Takala singled out was unity across schools. The Lautoka squad drew players from multiple primary schools, and she said forging a cohesive team identity was central to their success. “Unity among players from different schools was a major strength of the team,” she said, describing how teachers, parents and coaches worked together to blend skills and personalities into a collective effort.
The wins in Labasa add to a broader picture of growth in Fiji’s primary school sports, where increased participation and improved local facilities have begun to lift standards across disciplines. For the Lautoka contingent, the tournament provided both silverware and a barometer of where their development programmes are yielding results.
Takala expressed satisfaction with the overall performance and growth of the squad, acknowledging the challenges they overcame. The double victory in the under-10 and under-12 divisions stands as the latest sign that structured preparation, community fundraising and regular club competition can combine to produce competitive junior teams for the Western Division.