Labasa Primary aim to defend their Courts Inter-District Championship (IDC) title after a convincing 2-1 win in their first game against Rewa Primary at Buckhurst Park yesterday.

Melvin Mani Chand scored the first goal from a set piece to boost the side before Niraj Singh sealed the win for the defending champions.

Coach Amitesh Prasad said the win was crucial for them but they need to work hard to beat Lautoka today.

“It was a good game, I am proud of the way the boys handled themselves throughout,” Prasad said.

“We have been preparing really well, the boys have been working extra hard even though we weren’t together in the last week leading up to the competition due to exams.

“But despite the win, there is still a lot to be done and I believe we can do better, this is just the first game and we will go back and look at how we can improve.

“We need to organise our defence and work on our finishing, if we manage to polish up those two areas, we will be able to get a positive result against Lautoka.

“The first goal by Melvin was a really good one and I am glad that these boys are learning and taking in what we have been teaching them.”

Lautoka will not be an easy opponent for Labasa but retaining their title is their main aim.

“Of course Lautoka will be a tough side to beat but that is why our win against Rewa was important because it is a boost for the boys,” he said.

“But our drive to win and retain our title is what will be fueling our boys and we are looking forward to our next game.

“We are thankful to Fiji Football for providing competition in this prestigious tournament at this level and I’m sure these boys will come out better players by the end of this tournament.”

Labasa won the Courts IDC tournament last year after a lapse of 10 years. Edited by Osea Bola

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