The last football appointment of 2020 was not the Fiji FACT for many key footballers of Fiji as the Sukuna Bowl’s football challenge took place recently. The Ratu Sukuna Bowl is a traditional clash between the Fiji Armed Forces against the Fiji Police in many sports events, including football.
The semi-professional status of football in the country allows the players to engage in other professions – many of important players are currently working as police officers or even as members of Fijian Army.
The clash between the two institutions saw a number of well-known players representing their sides; at Army side the most prominent profile was Suva’s Christopher Wasasala, while Police had a number of Fiji national team players such as Tevita Waranaivalu and Meli Codro. The national league and Fiji FACT top scorer Sairusi Nalaubu also represented Police side in the match.
But none of them were the ‘hero’ of the day, as the current Labasa rep Ratu Anare scored a brace for Police to seal the Sukuna Bowl’s football glory in favour of the blue side.
Anare was not the only representative of Labasa in the clash as two key players of the Babasiga Lions also celebrated the pride to win the Sukuna Bowl; they were the tall goalkeeper Akuila Mateisuva and the Battle of Giants’ MVP Ilisoni Lolaivalu.
Oceania Football Center 