Meli Laddpeter 
Unlike many schools in major cities and towns across the country, those in rural areas often lack basic amenities, such as proper training fields, when preparing for major secondary school competitions like the Coca-Cola Games.
During the Eastern Division Athletics Qualifiers at Tailevu North College in Korovou, event coordinator Maciu Koroimatana said weather conditions often dictate training sessions, as grounds can become too slippery for safe practice.
While the grounds at Tailevu North was not in its best conditions, athletes managed to carry out with their events smoothly.
Despite these challenges, he noted the remarkable resilience of the athletes, who use such obstacles as motivation to prove they can compete with larger, better-resourced schools.
While they hope to train occassionally at venues like the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva, expenses often restrict these plans.
“Especially during heavy rain the ground’s become too slipery. But this only motivates them to do better and train harder. The grounds here today were a bit slipperly, but I would say it went well.”
The Eastern Qualifiers yesterday were plagued by heavy rainfall, which made conditions underfoot difficult. However, events proceeded as scheduled, and Koroimatana described the meet as a success.
