Taina Basiyalo 
Excitement is building among tourism workers as the Fiji Hoteliers Tournament makes its long-awaited return this Friday, three decades after it was last held in 1995.
Tournament president Ropate Sigadrodro says the atmosphere is electric as teams prepare to reunite for the two-day sporting event.
He says this is an exciting week for them as they are going all out to make it a memorable occasion, a time to meet, connect and strengthen the bond among tourism workers.
“At this very moment, a lot of the hotel workers have not set foot on Malolo lailai. As we speak, everyone is impatient and cannot wait to set foot here. The days are too long for them and I’m just seeing constant updates on our group chats and social media pages and everyone is just excited and the countdown is on.”
He says the response has been overwhelming, with around 2,000 people expected to gather on the island for the tournament.
A total of 37 hotel properties will be represented, featuring 30 men’s volleyball teams, 28 mixed volleyball teams, 20 mixed netball teams and 16 women’s volleyball teams.
The competition starts this Friday on Plantation Island at Malolo Lailai.
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