I directed a question at the officials of Fiji Football Association: “What is the heart and soul of Fiji soccer?”
So far no one has replied. In a way, I can empathise with their reluctance because it’s not a question to prompt a ready-made answer.
However, my purpose in asking was with the ardent hope of engaging the president and officials in considering some positive soul searching about the future of Fiji soccer.
My desire in writing this article is with the fervent hope they might seriously reflect and consider what I’m respectfully proposing.
If you’re wondering why I’m even remotely interested, please allow me to share a little history.
Our family has been involved with Fiji soccer going back to the 1900s. My late uncle Dr Samson Deoki established the first organised soccer team called the Sunshine Club.
His youngest brother, my late dad, was one of the key figures who fought valiantly to orchestrate changes to the Fiji Indian Football Association’s constitution.
It was no mean feat for the early pioneers at a time when they lived in a deeply divided and segregated society.
Armed with a clear vision for future generations, and while charting a new course, they encountered fierce opposition from within their own ranks.
Yet despite this, and motivated by the courage of their convictions, they stayed true until eventually they were able to open the game to all races under the new banner of FFA.
The vision of the early pioneers was inspired by their belief that soccer would one day become a truly multi-ethnic sport with the ultimate goal of taking on the world. Some might think this was a pipedream.
But in their hearts they were confident this would eventually become a reality — may be not in their lifetime, but years down the track.
On a personal note my wife Glenda and I were heavily involved in the thriving club and district level competitions in both the men’s and women’s game.
As someone passionate about the sport, I’m deeply saddened to see Fiji still struggling to remove the stigma of playing second fiddle to international teams for decades.
Which is why I honestly believe, like my dad did, that Fiji has the talent and potential to go all the way to the World Cup.
However, this dream will only be realised by men and women who are brave enough to empower the next generation with something more than what’s transpired so far.
For example, when our national team has lost to the internationals everyone from the players to the officials, have copped the blame.
Our glaring failure has been attributed to many blunders including that old scapegoat — caqe tose (scattered, kick and chase style of soccer).
In some respects, it seems we’ve never recovered from the scourge of caqe tose. Perhaps it’s why some are under the mistaken belief we’ll never be as good as the internationals. To solve this, and to their credit, FFA has engaged many seasoned coaches.
But success has still eluded us. Without sounding cynical, it reminds me that doing the same things over and over again expecting a different result is not only futile — it’s a fruitless waste of valuable time, money and resources.
Over the years, many letters and countless talanoa sessions around thousands of tanoa have dissected the game offering a myriad of solutions.
They’ve passionately debated which direction FFA needs to be heading and what needs to happen at the grassroots level.
It’s stimulated plenty of interest and floated some excellent ideas by knowledgeable people passionate about the game.
Mathematically minded research psychologists believe the equation for success is: Success = time invested X focus.
Other experts believe it’s: skill X effort = achievement. Whatever you feel works for you, there’s one thing they all agree on – building a positive growth mindset is fundamental in achieving success.
A positive growth mind-set requires having a teachable spirit – being adventurous and open about learning new things and exploring new ideas at the risk of failure.
Embracing a positive growth mind-set is never easy, particularly in settings where people prefer things remaining as they are.
The reason many prefer the status quo is because human beings have an abject fear of change, fear of failure, fear of the unknown and also a deeply ingrained fear of loss.
The possibility of losing prestige, power, control, financial gain, tradition or even a deeply rooted ideological belief can trigger a fiercely fanatical stance where they will refuse to entertain anyone else’s views other than their own. People who feel this way can become tenaciously territorial about protecting their turf.
Sometimes, as a means of protection, they’ll launch an all out attack against anyone who they see as a threat to the perceived comfort of their prestigious position.
Another weapon people of this ilk can sometimes use is – they’ll activate a brick wall code of silence shielding themselves from any further discussion and dialogue by leaving creative thinkers and visionaries out in the “cold”.
And as the silence becomes lengthy and deafening, many people automatically begin losing interest giving way to feelings of discouragement and futility.
Sound familiar?
Well what comes as no surprise is this — the early pioneers of FFA, when proposing changes to the racially based Constitution all those years ago, came up against exactly this same type of territorial turf protecting fear.
Which reminds me of a wonderful quote that speaks volumes about change — Nothing changes if nothing changes!
An incredible event that happened in 1958 mirrors an outstanding example about changes.
While watching a movie inspired by the story of a Brazilian soccer great, the question of how Fiji soccer could be catapulted into World Cup contention began burning deeply. This true life movie set in 1958 features Brazil preparing for the World Cup.
The coach was torn between going with the fixed mind-set of public opinion or unleashing a style of soccer many believed was primitive. The reason — the style had originated from the slums of Brazil.
However, what many weren’t aware of was a powerful truth – this so called primitive technique had its roots in a martial arts method called, Capoeira.
African slaves brought to Brazil had developed Capoeira as a means of protecting themselves against aggressive slave owners.
Capoeira, I’ve since discovered, combines a dazzling display of dance moves, acrobatics and music. From it, a style of soccer called Ginga was birthed. Ginga became an extension of the martial arts moves of Capoeira.
But many, including their coach, believed Ginga’s free-flowing feet movement to be a stumbling block against the stronger regimented style of European soccer.
The Brazilian coach’s fixed mind-set thinking was working overtime not only because he was tormented by his own fears – if the team lost, the backlash from his countrymen would most certainly put an end to his coaching career.
However, as destiny would have it, a 17-year-old youngster on the Brazilian side, who’d grown up playing Ginga in the slums of Brazil, would become the lead catalyst for the coach to consider ditching his fixed mind-set views.
When Ginga was given the green light, the Brazilian team exploded with an electrifying display of football that resonated deeply with their soul and spirit.
Despite all of their past failures and setbacks the Brazilians, with a new fire burning in their bellies, played like men possessed.
In the 1958 final of the World Cup, they demolished the highly fancied Swedes winning their first ever World Cup trophy — one of many in their meteoric rise as giants in the game.
And the youngster who helped unleash the legendary Ginga moves in their historic win was the magical maestro we’ve all come to love — Pele!
Totally enthralled watching this amazing movie featuring Pele, my mind was visualising a thousand thoughts.
I began speculating — was there something similar worth exploring back home — a success formula incorporating a “style” and rhythm pulsating with the passion, the joys and the freedom only we know, love, live and breathe as islanders.
But, even if there was something worth exploring, how do we go about finding it? Where do we begin?
These questions were having a field day lighting up the neurons in my brain . Then, as if in an answer to some mystical unspoken prayer, I received an interesting article from a friend.
After pains-taking research, a Chinese professor has discovered that the deadly martial arts style of kung fu and the history about the famous Shaolin Temple had originated, of all places, in India!!
According to the Chinese professor’s findings, kung fu was developed by a Prince of the Pallava Dynasty, called Bodhidharma, who was from Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu in Southern India.
Prince Bodhidharma visited China during the 5th Century CE. He became the 28th Patriarch of Buddhism and helped establish the Shaolin Temple in China to share his deadly art of kung fu.
As this adrenaline pumping revelation began hitting home, I started getting goose bumps toying with the many awesome possibilities.
I began envisioning the exhilarating war dances and chants of our Indigenous Fijians — the cibi being one of many with a string of different war chants and dance moves that are visually electrifying.
Then there’s our music — a unique blend of tribal rhythms and styles that are moving and rousing to the soul.
After digesting and mulling over everything, here’s the conclusion I’ve finally come to — in the midst of our collective histories, our music and dances including our rich ancient cultures, I believe, lies the very “heart and soul” of Fijian soccer.
Call it fate, coincidence or destiny, but I believe the time has come to reset our focus. It’s time to begin reviewing the development of our game from a totally new perspective.
We’re living in the most advanced technological age in history. There are gifted creatives back home who possess the digital design wizardry to begin joining the dots — exploring ways of putting together the rhythm, the heartbeat and style of our game as only they know how.
With all of the technical talent available, they may be able to probe areas we’ve never even considered before.
Yes, I know — suggesting something so ridiculously extreme has the potential of leaving egg on our faces. But we all know there’s no reward without risk.
As we begin exploring our rich histories, I believe we will discover the true identity of our game. It’s already within our mid.
And when we find it, it will begin empowering the very heartbeat, style and rhythm of the already fiercely competitive warrior spirit within us islanders that’s been waiting to be unleashed for decades.
Like you, I’ve seen many examples of our unique style and flare from countless players. What we haven’t, as yet, been able to do is to harness that synergy into a razor sharp style able to pierce the armour of even the most prolific professionals.
Please understand, I’m not proposing re-inventing the wheel. We’ve trialled enough copycat styles and formats to know which ones hardly resonate with our passion and pulse.
The ingredients of the magical brilliance we’re quick to see in others is already seeded within us. We just need to draw it out and process the steps that are uniquely our very own.
Because if we can distinguish its design, we can begin developing the blueprint. And the blueprint is what will speak volumes to our soul and spirit.
It will empower the champions of tomorrow with a new zeal and a new steel plated style of soccer, sizzling like the very white hot stones of our lovo.
With this kind of fire burning in the hearts and minds of our players, imagine where Fiji soccer could be in the next 10 to 20 years?
However, before any of this is possible there are some fundamental underlying issues requiring dignified analysis, review and reform.
Firstly, (and I stand to be corrected), the governing body of FFA still has a disproportionate representation of ethnic communities within its inner circle while the bulk of players in the representative side are Indigenous Fijians.
The vision of the early pioneers of FFA was to develop one great soccer playing nation representative of all ethnic communities at every level of the game, including at the very core leadership of FFA.
Furthermore, I believe it’s time for FFA to consider making the district and national level competition totally professional supported by the Government employing footballers, managers and coaching staff members on a full-time basis.
This will create a new sporting industry which will generate employment at many levels providing the much needed incentive to grow the game from the very grassroots to the very top of the tree.
And what better time than now to launch such an enterprise when so many have lost their jobs.
However, an independent review with government’s assistance will need to be conducted weighing up the pros and cons whether it can evolve into a viable professional enterprise as opposed to an amateur association trying desperately to compete with the overseas professionals.
There’s an old saying – there’s a time and season for everything under the Sun. And just as it was all those years ago, when the founding fathers began this historic journey, the time has come for you – the current crop of officials to launch the next phase in fulfilling the ultimate goal.
And if you’re brave enough accepting the challenge of re-igniting the vision of discovering the “key” to our very own, uniquely Fijian game, you’ll be written about in the history books as the generation having had the courage of finally unshackling us from the safety net of mediocrity and launching our dream of taking our rightful place in the spotlight of the World Cup.
“It took me 17 years and 114 days to become an overnight success” – Lionel Messi.
n Colin Deoki is a regular contributor to this newspaper. The views expressed are the author’s and not necessary of this newspaper.
