IN August 1966, Fiji’s only athlete at the eighth British Empire and Commonwealth Games, Ana Ramacake, made history in Kingston, Jamaica.
It was the first time that any country was represented at the Games by a single woman athlete.
Prior to this, on a number of occasions countries were represented by only one athlete but always a male.
Ana, who rose to become perhaps Fiji’s first sprint queen, took part in the 100, 220 and 440 yards and the long jump.
In her buildup to the Games, Ana won the long jump at the New Zealand national championships with a jump of “19ft 3 ½ inches in very poor conditions on grass”.
In Fiji, her best jump had been 19ft 4 ½ inches on a grass surface too.
“In Jamaica, she will compete against a number of girls whose best jumps range up to 21ft on cinders or all-weather run-ups which assist jumpers considerably.”
The Fiji Times of July 20, 1966, noted. In the sprints, Ana’s best performances – also on grass – were rated at 10.9 seconds for 100 yards and 25.2 seconds for 220 yards.
In 1954, Sainiana Sorowale became the first-ever woman to represent Fiji at the Commonwealth Games when she competed in the long jump.
In that year, Fiji won no medals, although the country picked up five medals in the 1950 games. Ana was the female star sprinter of pre-independence Fiji.
At the 1966 Games, Ana did not have a coach to accompany her to the Games. Nevertheless, she had received training and guidance before competing from Ron Pickering, an Olympic coach.
During the 1966 Games, events were held early in the morning and evenings to avoid exposing athletes to Jamaica’s fierce noon and afternoon sun.
“The Fiji Women’s Club, which undertook to sponsor Ana in respect of the expenses of the visit has done a magnificent job and through several excellent functions has raised nearly twice as much money as was originally estimated to be necessary,” The Fiji Times reported. “…she will probably be the only competitor at Kingston who is not supported by her own coach and by an official of her own athletics association. Many personal friends of Ana, athletes, ex-athletes and friends will wish her good luck.”
Meanwhile, to help in her trip, an appeal was made to raise over 500 pounds to send Fiji’s sprint queen to Jamaica.
In the end, 1100 pounds was collected and the surplus of 500 pounds was used to prepare a team from Fiji to the second South Pacific Games in New Caledonia in late 1966. One of the biggest money-raisers was the “South Pacific” gourmet dinner dance, organised by Adi Laisa Ganilau and Adi Lady Lala Mara at the Grand Pacific Hotel.
The two ladies raised 208 pounds.
The biggest amount was raised by “A Night in Taiwai”, held at the China Club and organised by Mrs Ah Koy and Ms Catherine Woo, who made a profit of 284 pounds.
The Fiji Times of July 29, 1966, said, against all odds, Ana represented all sports in Fiji and all people of the colony.
“She has none of the specialised facilities and assistance which were available to athletes in other territories and countries but she sure acquits herself well.”
In 1961, Ana’s performance started to gain recognition. At an athletics meet at Buckhurst Park, Laucala Bay, she clocked 6.30 seconds in the 50 yards. Her time set a new record for a Fijian and was one one-tenth of a second outside the record held by Yvette Williams of New Zealand.
“She showed she is one of the most consistent performers in Fiji athletics today when she also won the women’s 220 yards in 23.1 seconds,” The Fiji Times of March 11, 1961 read.
Ana,who later became Ana Birch at marriage, was a former student of Lelean Memorial School and a 1993 Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic
Hall of Fame inductee.
She was from Visama in Tailevu and passed away in Nadi in 2014 at the age of 79.
She made her debut for Fiji as a 29-year-old at the 1963 South Pacific Games at Buckhurst Park in Suva where she won five medals, two of them gold.
