A new vehicle has been handed over to the Fiji Secondary Schools Athletics Association (FSSAA) to bolster preparations for next year’s Coca‑Cola Games, organisers announced on Thursday. The handover, part of a renewed partnership arrangement, was completed on October 12, 2023, when Coca‑Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) Fiji representatives Elton Varomue and Lawrence Tikaram presented the keys to FSSAA secretary Biu Colati at CCEP’s head office in Laucala Beach Estate, Nasinu.
CCEP Fiji said the vehicle will be deployed for official duties by both the Coca‑Cola Games committee and the FSSAA, easing logistical challenges as the association ramps up activities ahead of the meet. “In renewal of our partnership with Fiji Secondary Schools (Athletics Association), one of the key arrangements was to provide an added vehicle to help provide the incentive for Fiji Secondary Schools (Athletics Association) to go out and continue the great work that they do in nurturing and providing coaching clinics, and most importantly, upskilling the coaches and managers who play an integral part of the success of the Coca‑Cola Games,” Tikaram, CCEP Fiji’s commercial manager‑export markets, said at the handover.
Tikaram also highlighted the practical value of the vehicle in a crowded sports calendar. He said it would help the association maintain a visible presence at multiple events that often clash, allowing FSSAA officials and coaching teams to be available across venues and programmes during the lead‑up to the Games.
FSSAA secretary Biu Colati welcomed the donation, saying the vehicle would directly support ongoing capacity‑building work. “Our sponsor recognises the developments that we are in. Right now, as we speak, we have got an upskilling workshop happening for our coaches,” Colati said. “For all of these activities to happen, apart from other activities that FSSAA is undertaking, this vehicle that is going to come in will really help.”
The handover comes with the Coca‑Cola Games scheduled for April 30‑May 1, 2024, at HFC Bank Stadium in Suva. The annual event is the country’s flagship secondary‑schools athletics meet, and organisers have been moving early to ensure coaching, officiating and administrative systems are in place well before the two‑day competition.
CCEP’s contribution — framed as part of the sponsor’s renewal of its support for school athletics — signals an emphasis on the non‑competition elements that underpin the Games: coach and manager development, clinics and expanded outreach. Organisers say improved transport and logistical capacity will make it easier to deliver clinics and workshops across the islands and to manage overlapping fixtures as the athletics season intensifies.
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