Mahatma Gandhi Memorial High School produced a dominant performance to complete a clean sweep of both the boys and girls divisions at the Coca‑Cola Games Suva Zone One meet, which concluded yesterday, school principal Rageshwar Prasad announced. The result far exceeded the school’s expectations and marks a significant turnaround, particularly for the boys’ team.
Prasad said MGM’s male athletes had set an internal target of 15 gold medals but returned with 21, while the girls had aimed for 30 golds and claimed 31. “The kids (athletes) outperformed themselves, they went past our target,” he said, crediting the achievement to intense preparation and determination on the track and field. He added that every one of the school’s 85 athletes at the zone meet had to “fight through every medal that was at stake.”
Prasad pointed to two factors that helped drive the exceptional showing. The Fiji athletics authorities introduced new, tougher qualifying times and distances for this year’s Fiji Finals, raising the bar for those hoping to progress to the national stage. “With the new qualifying times and distances that have come up, it will need a lot of effort from the kids to really make it through,” he said. “I think that is another reason why our kids outperformed themselves to make sure that they made that time or distance that is required.”
MGM also began preparations unusually early for the 2026 athletics season, with training starting in November last year. Prasad said the four months of focused preparation paid dividends at the Suva Zone One meet and has set the school’s sights on maintaining momentum into the main Coca‑Cola Games next month. He framed the zone sweep as a confidence boost and a test of the athletes’ readiness for stiffer competition to come.
The sweep represents a notable improvement from last year’s zone outcomes: MGM’s girls had been champions last year with 20 gold, eight silver and five bronze medals, while the boys finished seventh with two gold, two silver and five bronze. The new zone result indicates significant progress for the boys’ programme and consolidation of the girls’ strength at regional level.
Attention now turns to the next zone event, the Coca‑Cola Games Nadi Zone competition scheduled at Churchill Park in Lautoka from March 24–25. MGM will be aiming for a strong finish at the national Coca‑Cola Games next month, with Prasad urging students to remain focused and to build on the discipline and effort that produced the clean sweep in Suva.
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