Kalabu U16 ready for hockey debut

Kalabu Secondary School (KSS) will make their debut in today’s Fiji Secondary Schools Hockey Championship at Lautoka’s Nadovu grounds.

The school will field teams in the Under-16 boy’s and girl’s competition.

In boy’s grade, KSS is drawn in Pool A alongside St Thomas High School, St John’s College and Suva Grammar School. In the U16 girl’s KSS is in Pool B alongside Tilak High School, Dilkusha Methodist High School and St John’s College.

Fiji Secondary Schools Hockey Association (FSSHA) president Makelesi Mawi said the four-day tournament would bring together some of the country’s promising young hockey players from 13 schools nationwide.

She said the championship represented more than an opportunity for secondary school students to compete, as it provided a platform to invest in the next generation of Fiji hockey players and create a stronger foundation for the continued growth of the sport.

“Sport provides young people with an opportunity to develop discipline, teamwork, leadership, resilience and confidence,” she said.

“The support of our sponsors enables us to provide a stronger platform for our young hockey players and contributes directly to the success of organising this tournament.”

Mawi said hosting the championship in Lautoka would also strengthen the Western Division’s contribution to hockey development.

She said staging quality competitions outside Suva was important in ensuring young players from different regions had opportunities to compete, gain exposure and develop through meaningful competition.

Fiji Hockey Federation (FHF) president Chad Eastgate said the tournament was an integral part of the national hockey calendar and supported the vision of creating stronger development pathways for young athletes.

“Competitions such as this are critical because not only do they bring our young athletes together in a competitive environment, but they also present us with an opportunity for developing coaches, officials and schools,” Eastgate said.

Levuka Public School and Suva Grammar School will defend the U19 boy’s and girl’s titles respectively. Marist Brothers High School and St Thomas High School will defend the U16 boy’s and girl’s titles.