Labasa F.C.
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| Full name | Labasa F.C. | |
|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Babasiga Lions | |
| Founded | 1942 | |
| Ground |
Subrail Park Labasa, Fiji | |
| Capacity | 10,000 | |
| Coach | Pita Bolatoga | |
| League | National Football League (Fiji) | |
| 2013 | 5th | |
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Labasa F.C. is a Fijian association football club currently playing in the first division of the National Football League. It is based in Labasa, Vanua Levu, which is the second largest island of Fiji. Their home stadium is Subrail Park.
History
A local football competition was held in Labasa from 1938. The competition included some ethnic Fijian Clubs. Labasa did not join the National Association when it was formed, in 1938, due to the distance of Labasa from the main island of Viti Levu, where all, except one, club was based.
In 1942, under the Presidency of Harold B. Gibson,[1] a former member of the Legislative Council, Labasa Soccer Association joined the national football body, then known as the Fiji Indian Football Association.
Labasa remained at the periphery of soccer in Fiji, struggling to compete with teams from Viti Levu, until 1969, when it hosted the Inter-District Championship (IDC) for the first time. Soccer suddenly flourished in Labasa and the team was runner-up in the IDC of 1972, 1973 and 1978. Labasa F.C. finally won the IDC for the first time in 1992, repeating the feat two years later in 1994. Labasa soccer team has to rely on its young players as the most experienced players are lured to play for other districts with lucrative offers.
In October 2011, the team won its third ever IDC tournament after defeating Ba F.C. (1-0) at the TFL National Stadium in Suva. Labasa's winning goal in the final was scored by striker, Maciu Dunadamu in the second half of the match after being supplied an excellent pass by Roy Krishna.[2]
Girmit Soccer Tournament is a football tournament organised in Fiji by the Fiji Football Association. The tournament was first held in 1979 to commemorate the centenary of the arrival of Indians in Fiji, under the indenture system, known as girmit by the Fiji Indians. The first tournament ended in controversy when Labasa was awarded the Girmit Cup when Ba defaulted the final game.
Achievements
- 1991, 2007
- 1992, 1994, 2011
- 1997
- 1992, 1997 (joint with Ba) 1999, Runner up 2008
- Champions versus Champions: 2
- 1993, 2008
- Girmit Cup:
- 1979
Current squad
As of January 2014.[3]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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See also
References
- ↑ "FIJI FA District Affiliates".
- ↑ 2011 Courts IDC final - Fiji Times
- ↑ Labasa upbeat to secure maximum points - Fiji Live
Bibliography
- M. Prasad, Sixty Years of Soccer in Fiji 1938–1998: The Official History of the Fiji Football Association, Fiji Football Association, Suva, 1998.
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