As the Wai Tui International returns to Fiji this Easter after a 14-year hiatus, Takia Outrigger Canoe Club has handed the reins of its youth development program to one of its own alumni. Jone Koroitanoa, who first joined Takia as a young paddler from Suva almost a decade ago, has been appointed coach of the club’s junior squad as crews prepare for the April 3–6, 2026 regatta at Wailoaloa Beach.
Koroitanoa said the move into coaching is motivated by a desire to repay the support he received as a junior. “The support I received as a junior is what I want to give back,” he said, adding, “Ten years ago I was one of those kids learning to paddle. Now I’m proud to guide the next group coming through.” His appointment marks a full-circle moment for Takia, which sees former competitors stepping into leadership roles to sustain grassroots growth.
Takia’s junior squad this year comprises 12 Suva-based paddlers bolstered by youth travelling from Australia, Samoa and New Zealand, reflecting renewed regional interest in junior Va’a as the Wai Tui International resumes. Coaches and club officials say the mixed cohort has shown notable gains in endurance, coordination and confidence during pre-event preparations, evidence of a maturing pathway for young paddlers in the capital.
The club’s junior development push has been underpinned by support from families, local clubs and a slate of sponsors. Simple Green Fiji, Fiji Chemicals, BRED Bank, Capital Insurance Ltd and Architects Pacific are among those backing Takia’s program, providing funding and resources that organisers say have helped expand training opportunities and equipment access for emerging athletes.
The Wai Tui International itself will feature both V1 and V6 sprint and marathon races over the four days at Wailoaloa Beach, with organisers expecting hundreds of paddlers across Junior, Open and Masters divisions. Takia is set to field crews across those categories, aiming to showcase its depth from junior squads through to senior and masters teams as the event re-establishes itself on the Pacific calendar.
For Koroitanoa and Takia, the immediate challenge is translating off-season gains into race-day performance and ensuring the younger paddlers gain valuable international experience. Club officials say the exposure to competitors from Australia, Samoa and New Zealand will provide benchmarks for the program and help identify athletes who can progress to national selection pathways in the coming years.
With the Wai Tui International back on the schedule and a new generation of coaches emerging from the clubs that raised them, Takia’s latest move signals a concerted effort to rebuild and future-proof Fiji’s va’a talent pipeline ahead of what organisers hope will be a revived and sustained regional regatta.
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