Gym equipment boosts Navatu Secondary

Navatu Secondary School (NSS) in Cakaudrove has received $8000 worth of gym equipment from the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Minister for Youth and Sports Jese Saukuru handed over the equip­ment at the school on Wednesday.

The school's Under-19 rugby side made history with a remarkable run in the 2026 Vodafone Deans Tro­phy competition, reaching the final before narrowly losing to Lelean Memorial School (LMS).

During their preparation, the team had to relocate to Navakaka Village to access a training ground and re­lied on improvised gym equipment to support their conditioning.

Saukuru said the ministry would consider further assistance once a suitable site for a permanent train­ing ground is identified and an agreement is secured with the land­owners.

"When I heard the interview with NSS Under-19 captain Vilimone Kanawabu after their historic Super Deans final, one thing stood out to me: these young men had the talent, the determination and the heart, but they did not have a prop­er training ground or gym to sup­port their development," Saukuru said in his statement.

NSS had already made history by becoming the first team from the North to reach the U19 final after defeating Ratu Kadavulevu School 22-17 in the semi-final.

''Although they narrowly missed out on the title, losing 15--14 to Lelean in the final, they showed Fiji what Northern youth can achieve when given an opportunity.

"I reached out to the school and made a promise that we would as­sist, and that promise has now be­come a reality.

"This gym equipment is about in­vesting in our young people.

"To the young people of Navatu and the North, your talent should never be limited by where you come from. Your dreams are just as im­portant, and your hard work de­serves support.

"To our young people, stay fo­cused, stay disciplined, stay away from drugs and use sport as a posi­tive pathway. You have the talent and the potential; now let us create the opportunities.

"This is what investing in our youth looks like."