Avinesh Suwamy: a legend of the Men in Black

Older people say that we only value something when we lose it and this phrase can be applied to different situations: a marriage, a loved one, a material asset, and even a football player when he retires or changes clubs. However it is never too late to recognize the legacy of an idol, specially when he is still in activity.

Avinesh Suwamy is a gentleman inside the pitch; A very smart player with a good technique, he is known in his homeland as The Fijian David Beckham because of his powerful shots and great skills on free kicks.

Suwamy started his path as a Ba’s player at senior level in 2005 when he was just 19 and people could not imagine that he would become a legend. It did not take so long for him to show his quality and be called-up for the National Team in the same year. He made his official debut for Fiji in a 1-0 win against India.

The years passed and he became a key player in a Ba that dominated Fijian football. Avinesh’s trophy gallery representing the Men in Black is huge and it includes 9 Premier Leagues, 7 Battle of the Giants, 7 Champion vs Champion Series, 4 FIJI Fact and 4 Inter-District Championship. He was also part of Ba’s squad that reached 2007 OFC Champions League final – the second OFC Champions League final contested by a Fijian club.

While he was becoming a legend in the Men in Black, Avinesh was also building his own history in the National Team. He represented the Bula Boys in 2011 Pacifc Games, 2012 OFC Nations Cup and 2016 OFC Nations Cup and scored three goals in seventeen matches representing his country.

However, time is inexorable and everyone gets older year by year. He kept playing in a good level and winning tournaments with Ba, but people started to criticize him saying that he should start thinking about retiring from football. Until one day what everyone (or nobody) expected: Avinesh Suwamy left Ba to play for Nadi in 2020.

He debuted for The Jetsetters in a 6-0 loss against Lautoka but his next appearance was like the rebirth of a phoenix. Suwamy scored four goals in Nadi’s 5-0 win against Nasinu just one day after his 34th birthday. And it was his last official match so far as 2020 Vodafone Premier League was stopped due to COVID-19.

Avinesh still has time to build a good story playing for Nadi while nostalgia remains for Ba’s supporters. However it is never to late to remember his legacy when he was in Black.