MGM dedicated their emotional defence of the 2026 Coca-Cola Games Girls Division title to high jumper Tamara Ralagi, who lost her mother just days before the three-day meeting concluded at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva on Saturday.
School principal Rajeshwar Prasad said what should have been a time of celebration instead became a period of reflection and solidarity as the team rallied around Tamara. “The loss was deeply personal, but within the tight-knit MGM team, it was felt collectively,” Prasad said, describing how the school carried the grief with one of its standout athletes through the competition.
As a visible sign of mourning, MGM athletes wore black tape around their shoulders across the three days of competition. Prasad called the gesture “a powerful symbol of grief” and said the team’s support went beyond what showed on the scoreboard. “Their victory was not simply recorded on points; it was etched in emotion, in solidarity, and in the quiet strength of a team that refused to let grief define them,” he added.
Tamara Ralagi produced notable individual results amid personal heartbreak, taking silver in the junior girls’ high jump and bronze medals in the long jump and the 4x400m relay. She praised her teammates for standing by her and dedicated her performances to her late mother. “I am so grateful and lucky to have a team that stood by me during my time of grief,” Tamara said. “I miss my mum. I only wished to see her cheering for me from the stadium, but unfortunately she’s no more with us. This win is for her.”
MGM’s girls squad successfully defended their Coca-Cola Games crown, securing the school’s position at the top of the girls’ division for another year. The annual Coca-Cola Games is Fiji’s premier secondary schools track and field event, and this year’s finals at the HFC Bank Stadium were marked by both high-level competition and poignant moments off the track.
In the boys’ division, Queen Victoria School ended a 33-year drought to capture the title, providing a contrasting celebration at the close of the meet. Together, the outcomes framed a weekend of triumphs and deep emotion for Fiji’s school athletics community, with MGM’s dedication to Tamara highlighting how closely personal lives and sport are intertwined at the school level.
Prasad said the school will continue to support Tamara and the athletes as they process their loss while celebrating their accomplishments. The gesture of unity — the black armband, the public dedications and the team’s on-field success — underscored how the team channelled grief into a collective performance that resonated beyond medals.