The Queen’s Baton Relay arrived in Fiji and was taken to the State House, where it was paraded up the driveway as local people played the lali (wooden drums) to welcome its arrival. His Excellency Ratu Wiliame Maivalili Katonivere, President of Fiji, received the Baton before taking part in tree planting to commemorate the Relay.
Some of the first Batonbearers in Fiji were Rugby 7s athletes Jerry Tuwai and Rusila Nagasau, who both competed in Tokyo 2020 and captained their respective teams. Tuwai won gold, while Nagasu won silver.
On 13 February, the Baton went to the national sailing centre, where athletes were dressed in traditional Fijian grass skirts and waiting on drua, doubled-hull sailing boats which were traditionally used as war ships during battles to transport warriors.
Next, the Baton visited the Damodar Aquatic Centre, the official training ground for Team Fiji, where athletes relayed the Baton around the pool. Among the Batonbearers was Cheyenne Rova who is hoping to compete at Birmingham 2022, which would mark her third Commonwealth Games.
The Baton was also taken to other training venues such as the Vodafone Arena, ANZ Stadium, and the National Fitness Centre.
At the stadium, Fijian athletes performed a relay around the track. One of which was Ana Kaloucava, who holds the Fijian national record in the 400m hurdles.
Following these visits, the Baton was taken to the National War Memorial in Veiuto, where Makarita Lenoa, President of Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (FASANOC) laid a wreath in honour of Fiji’s fallen soldiers.
The day continued with a Relay along Queen Elizabeth Drive waterfront and a visit to the Suva Bowling Club and Albert Park.
The next day kicked off with coral planting as part of the OZONE global conservation initiative, followed by tree planting in the Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park.
The final stop of the Relay was in Lautoka at Koroipita, which translates to “Peter’s Village”. The community is a model town, where all citizens practise a sustainable way of living. The Baton toured the community including the sporting grounds, where Koroipita’s very own Rugby 7’s team trains.
The community’s founder and namesake Peter Drysdale took on the Baton along the route in the village.
