The final of the 2021 RC Manubhai/Apco Coatings Veterans Tournament will be played as the curtain-raiser for the Digicel Premier League clash between Nadroga and Suva at Lawaqa Park in Sigatoka on Sunday.
Two matches will be played today in the 2021 RC Manubhai/Apco Coatings Veteran’s tournament fixture before the tournament proper kicks off this Friday at Lawaqa Park in Sigatoka.
Suva Combine Masters and Nasinu Legends will clash at 5pm at Fiji FA Academy in Vatuwaqa while Lautoka Veterans will face Ba Legends at the same time at FFA Academy Ground in Ba.
A total of 28 pool matches will be played with seventeen teams participating in the tournament from this Friday.
Fourteen pool matches will be played on Friday and 12 matches on Saturday with four quarter-finals.
The semi-finals will be played on Sunday morning before the Digicel Women’s Super League match between Nadroga and Rewa women side at 11.30 am.
Fiji FA chief executive officer Mohammed Yusuf says this is for the first time 17 teams have confirmed their participation in the tournament.
“It is great to see more interest coming from our former district and national reps to participate and reunite with their former teammates, “said Yusuf
Yusuf said Fiji FA with the partnership with RC Manubhai and APCO Coatings started this tournament in 2014 with an objective to gather the former district players who were now retired to come back to one venue to enjoy football and reunite.
“We will be meeting some people that played way back and this is part of the Fiji FA’s social responsibility that we want to create this competition for the health and well-being of our former players.”
“The southern players have been organising their league and it improves their health and early morning at 5:30 am we get to see the veteran players running in the Fiji FA ground. This helps to improve their lifestyle.”
Yusuf added that whatever profit Fiji FA makes from the tournament as such is utilised to assist former players in their children’s welfare.
“The little profits that we receive from such a tournament does not go into the Fiji FA account but kept separately. We utilise that money for the educational needs and we pay for the ex-players children’s school kits.”
“Because some players are retired and it was their major source of income, we reach out to them and support their children. This is where these funds kick in and the trustees of the funds are the former players like Rusiate Waqa, Lote Delai, and Subash.”
“Fiji FA through the trustee’s funds supported the education of Tom Valentine’s and Mesulame Titifanua’s children in recent years. The funds are for such incidences and will be used for the very needs of our people.”
