Simran Chand 
The Suva Combine Masters were crowned champions of the Battle of the Giants (Tournament Under 45s, following a 1-0 win over Nasinu Legends last weekend at the Uprising Sports Centre in Pacific Harbour.
This win was a repeat of the Fiji FACT veterans final, where Suva had also defeated their rivals Nasinu by the same score line.
Captain Jan Sherani shared that after their Fiji FACT win, many people criticized the team and called their victory a fluke.
However, the Suva side refused to let that negativity affect them. Instead, they worked hard and proved their critics wrong by winning the BOG title.
According to Sherani, two major factors contributed to their success: the high level of fitness they have achieved and the strong teamwork they demonstrate on the field, which comes from training together.
A key difference for the Suva team, Sherani added, is that it is primarily made up of Suva-based players who were not former district representatives.
Unlike other teams that feature former Fiji and district reps, the Suva players have mostly competed at the youth level.
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