The decision not to organise the Triple N Zone this year has nothing to do with the changing dates says zone delegate Alifereti Tawake.
Of the annual zone competitions that usually double as the final trials to decide schools’ reps to the Coca Cola Games, Fiji’s yearly schools’ athletics extravaganza, the exclusion of the Triple N Zone this year is the most notable.
The Triple N Zone which comprises schools in the greater Nausori area including the reigning Coca Cola Girls Champs, Adi Cakobau School, is among the zone meets that will not be held this year.
Tawake says it was decided by the zone as per options they were given by the local schools’ athletics authority, Fiji Secondary Schools Athletics Association.
“Holding of the zone competition is not compulsory,” he said.
“We were told it was not compulsory, that we had options to still qualify our athletes. Schools have their own inter-house competitions and their time/distance trials they are holding within their schools to decide their representatives which are weighed against the qualifying standards approved by FSSAA.”
He said schools have been encouraged to continue their time/distance trials until the FSSAA sets the date for submission of names to compete in this year’s Coca Cola Games competition.
“Once Fiji Secondary Schools confirms the date for when we need to submit our representatives to the Coca Cola Games 2022, that is when we will relay it to our member schools. The schools will then submit their lists to the zone showing the times and/or distance depending on the events for endorsement before it is forwarded on to Fiji Secondary Schools Athletics.”
Savusavu schools will be resorting to the same, opting to hold their own time/distance trials at St Bedes College tomorrow.
Meanwhile, the 2022 Coca Cola Games have been moved back to 9 July from August, according to dates released by the Ministry of Education.
Essentially the new date affects the holding of the Bua zone meet as well, as per the current zone meets schedule which has schools in Bua assigned 14-15 July to stage theirs,
