Meli Laddpeter 
Alex Fong with his teammate at the championship yesteday.
Despite taking up badminton less than a year ago, 15-year-old Alex Fong of Natabua High School is already making impressive strides in the sport after competing in the Badminton Fiji Secondary Schools Championship over the past three days.
The youngster got his first taste of high school-level badminton at the tournament and is already setting his sights on achieving even more when he returns next year.
Coming from a background in tennis and squash, Fong said adapting to badminton was not overly difficult, with many of the skills transferring across to the sport.
Natabua was represented by just two players at this year’s championship, but Fong believes the school could have achieved much more with a larger squad.
“I’m happy with what we have been able to achieve even though there was only two of us. Now that I know what the competition’s like, I’m looking forward to next year and I will come even more prepared.”
He said there is plenty of badminton talent at Natabua High School and hopes more students will join the team next year to help strengthen the school’s presence at future competitions.
With his first secondary school’s championship now behind him, Fong is determined to continue improving and make an even bigger impact in the years ahead.
