The 2026 Badminton Fiji Secondary Schools Tournament kicks off in Suva today (31 May), bringing more than 100 young players from across the country together for a three‑day competition that organisers say will showcase rising talent and strengthen school-level participation in the sport.
Matches begin at 8am at the FMF Gymnasium before later stages move to Yat Sen Secondary School. Players from as far afield as Vanua Levu arrived in the capital for the event, and many took part in a final practice session at Vodafone Arena on Saturday afternoon to sharpen their games ahead of the opening round. The tournament runs through to 2 June, with tickets available for purchase at the venue gates.
Badminton Fiji vice‑president Joshline Caine said the association is keen to broaden participation further, particularly from the maritime zone. “We want to have more schools from the maritime zone come join but I think for that, we will need to host these type of competitions in the islands,” she said, urging parents, students and fans to turn out and support their schools over the coming days.
The inclusion of Vanua Levu schools in this year’s draw underlines organisers’ push to make the Secondary Schools Tournament more nationally representative. Caine’s comments signal a longer‑term plan to rotate events or stage satellite competitions on outer islands to reduce travel barriers and encourage entries from remote centres.
The tournament arrives amid a wider development drive by Badminton Fiji. In February the federation ran a month‑long girls‑only program led by vice‑president of development and para Jocelyn Caine, aimed at encouraging female participation and forging a stronger grassroots pipeline. Officials say the secondary schools event complements those initiatives by providing competitive exposure and match practice for developing players.
Organisers expect a busy three days of singles and doubles action across age groups, with fixtures scheduled from early morning at FMF Gymnasium and the programme moving to Yat Sen Secondary School as the event progresses. Admission is by gate sales on the day, and organisers reiterated their appeal for strong local support to help lift the standard and visibility of school‑level badminton nationwide.