Legends Club a farce

Local Sports

Former Fijian national footballer, Manu PokarFormer Fijian national footballer Manu Pokar says the Fiji Football Association's Legends club is a farce.

The Legends Club was formed in 2017 with the objective to recognize the contribution of footballers who have played their hearts out at the international arena and brought medals for Fiji.

Manu said the whole induction has gone from bad to worse.

“Bad for reasons that FFA ‘cherry picks’ inductees on medal over representation,” he said.

“And worse that a few new inductees who have neither represented the country and nor have won a medal are in the Legends Club.”

Manu said he’d like to learn more on how former Nadi district footballer Eswa Nadan Ninja and coach Gurjit Singh were inducted in the Legends Club.

“I absolutely have nothing against the two fine gentlemen, Ninja was one time Nadi’s best striker who I have a lot of respect for, and Singh was a coach but what category did they fall under,” asked the 80s star national and Nadi team forward.

“Footballers are left over by some ‘medal rule', yet district reps, and coaches get recognized, interesting.”

Manu says that every footballer who steps on the field gives their all to win but in the football scheme of things results don’t always go in their favour.

“All teams don’t win games, much less medals, that doesn’t make them no less or more national team footballers than those who have won the medal.

"It's very troubling."

President Rajesh Patel while announcing the formation of the Legends Club in 2017, said the former national footballers who had worked hard in giving their sweat, blood, and tears for the country will be recognized.

The footballers are given Fiji FA Gold Card, granting them lifetime access to all Fiji FA events free of charge.