Ratu Finau Secondary School is back at the Coca‑Cola Games after a two‑year absence, fielding a compact but determined squad of five athletes as the Lakeba‑based school renews its push for national school athletics honours. Head coach Iobe Taukeisalili said the team may be small, but ambitions are high — and only one member of the travelling party is originally from Lakeba, with the remaining four hailing from other provinces.
The school last competed at the Games in 2023, when it sent 12 athletes. Their subsequent two‑year break marked a pause in participation that Taukeisalili said was deliberate, allowing staff to regroup and prioritise quality over quantity. “This year, we worked closely with teachers and the school administration to select only the best athletes,” he said, noting the chosen students earned their places by qualifying through the Maritime Zone and meeting Coca‑Cola Games standards.
Ratu Finau’s athletes will concentrate on sprint and middle‑distance track events. Entries include the 200m and 400m in the sub‑junior, junior girls and junior boys categories, while the inter‑boys squad will contest the 400m, 800m and 1500m. There will be no senior‑grade representation from the school at this year’s meet.
Since its foundation, Ratu Finau has not yet secured a gold, silver or bronze at the Coca‑Cola Games, a record Taukeisalili says has become motivation rather than discouragement. “Our mission this year is to win medals — that is what we are working towards,” he said, underlining the targeted approach behind the smaller, select team.
The coach highlighted several ongoing challenges facing Lau‑group schools like Ratu Finau: limited access to proper training facilities on the island, unpredictable weather that complicates preparation, and the significant costs of travel to Suva for national competitions. Those constraints shaped the decision to send a focused team and to ask student‑athletes to accept sacrifices in training and lifestyle ahead of the three‑day Games.
Taukeisalili expressed gratitude to the school administration, teachers and Lakeba villagers for their backing during the lead‑up to the event, and asked the community to keep the athletes in their thoughts and prayers as they compete. The return marks the latest development in Ratu Finau’s long‑term effort to raise its profile at Fiji’s premier school athletics meet and to translate renewed planning into podium results.