The 2011 Coca Cola Games has officially begun with the Open Girls 1500 metres where Akesa Drotini of ACS and Nohela Taqai of Suva Grammar will be battling it out for gold.
It's day one of the 2011 Coca Cola Games in wet weather conditions in Suva.
More than 2,000 athletes are taking part in this year's games with the hope to win gold.
One the athletes are Marist captain, Banue Tabakaucoro who is aiming to win the Senior Boys 100 metres event tonight.
The question is whether Banuve can break the 18 year old record at the TFL National Stadium tonight despite the bad weather conditions.
The strong wind conditions at Laucala will definitely play a part on whether the record breaks tonight.
The record was set in 1993 in a time of 10.74 seconds by Viliame Nasuku when he ran for Queen Victoria School and it remained as the senior boy’s record although Banuve's time of 10.71 seconds in the inter-boys in 2009 is faster.
Banuve was unlucky last year when he was disqualified in the 100 meter final but coach Bola Tafou is confident that Banuve has matured enough to bring last year's nightmare to a happy ending.
Tafou rates current Suva Grammar sprinter Lepani Naivalu and last year's champion, Mataiasi Savou of LDS as Banuve Tabakaucoro's biggest threats in the blue ribbon event.
Fiji Athletics coach, Albert Miller believed that Banuve now knows what to expect in his second year in the senior grade.
Miller added that Tabakaucoro has now learnt from last year's mistakes.
For Tabaukaucoro he is yet to win the overall title since he joined the school in 2007.
Now in his final year, he is out to try and win the overall boys title for the boys from Flagstaff.
The 2011 Coca Cola Games will officially start at 8.30am with the Fiji Police Band leading the march-past followed by the schools parade.
The first event in the field is the intermediate boys javelin at 9.40am while on the tracks at 9.45am, it will be the open girls 1500 metres where Akesa Drotini of ACS and Nohela Taqai of Suva Grammar will battle it out for gold.
The 100 metres heats will kick off at 5pm this afternoon while the 100 metres final in the senior boys division is expected to start at 7.45pm this evening.
Story by: Vijay Narayan & Dreu Vukailagi
