Meli Laddpeter 
Taito Dradradroka (left), and her dad Lepani Drua.
In a bid to help send his son to Suva to participate in the 2025 Coca-Cola Games Championship, Lepani Drua had to harvest a few yaqona plants from his farm back in Kadavu.
His son, Taito Dradradroka, represented Vunisea Secondary School in the 800 and 400m events in the senior boys division.
Drua says that he and a few other parents of athletes from the Vunisea Athletics team resorted to their farm to help raise funds to send their athletes down to compete at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.
He adds that financial constraints were one of their biggest challenges, along with the lack of sporting equipment.
Drua says he had to prepare his yaqona plants weeks in advance and was able to sell them before the team left for the Fiji Finals.
“Since most of us are farmers, we went back to our farms and began harvesting things like yaqona and other root crops to help raise funds for the Fiji Finals.”
Even though his son was unable to win any medals, Drua says he couldn’t be prouder.
The Fiji Finals is currently underway at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva, and you can catch all the action live on FBC TV.
Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
