The Raiwai Rebels team made an impressive debut in the Rooster Chicken Volleyball Grassroot Development Festival, marking a successful start to the two-day tournament. On the opening day held at the FMF Gymnasium in Suva, the Rebels triumphed over the Tribal Risk team in straight sets, winning 25-7 and 25-20.
This tournament aims to enhance the standard of volleyball in Fiji while promoting emerging talent in the sport. Head coach Gade Gonevakarua expressed enthusiasm about the team’s performance, particularly considering that they had only one week to prepare for the competition. “Our preparation coming to the competition was not long; we had 1 week to train and prepare the team for this competition,” said Gonevakarua, highlighting the young and talented players from the Raiwai area.
Although the Rebels faced a challenging encounter, especially in the second set, their determination shone through. “It was a good match; our opponent, Tribal Risk, was strong. They challenged us in the second set, but I appreciate the boys for their fighting spirit until the end,” he remarked.
Gonevakarua noted some areas for improvement, particularly in communication and player rotation. “We have a few things to improve on, especially our communication; we also have a solid team, so we will keep the players in rotation and let everyone have a chance to play.”
The coach mentioned that the ultimate goal is to prepare the players for potential opportunities to represent their national team in future tournaments, reinforcing their commitment to continuous development. Expressing gratitude towards the team and supporters, Gonevakarua emphasized the significance of teamwork and perseverance in achieving success.
As the tournament is set to conclude today, there is hope that the Rebels will continue to build on their strong start and contribute to the growth of volleyball in Fiji.