BA once again dominated the Fiji Football Association annual awards in Suva on Saturday night.
The Vodafone Ba side managed to scoop four awards and President Rishi Kumar said there was no denying that the Men in Black deserved it.
Along with winning the Team of the Year award for the fourth successive year, Ba representatives took out awards for Player of the year (Malakai Kainihewe), Coach of the Year
(Yogendra Datt) and Fair Play (Tuimasi Manuca).
Other winners included Lautoka soccer president Shalendra Prasad who was named the Administrator of the Year, Roy Krishna of Labasa scooped the Popular Footballer of the Year
award, Nadi youngster Ratu Josefa Dugucagi took home the Junior Footballer of the Year award, Taveuni president Basant Kumar won senior Administrator of the Year, Andrew Archari was Referee of
the Year and Sunil Sharma the Media Personality of the Year.
“The awards won are through hard work and this has motivated us more for the 2008 season where Ba will be very hard to beat again,” said Kumar.
“There have been fingers pointed at Ba all the time and people say that we have been favored by the Fiji FA but it is the hard work and commitment which has got us where we
are.”
Kumar said Kainihewe had shown a lot of commitment and was one of the coolest players in Fiji.
“He is also a good leader and is full of commitment,” Kumar said.
“Tuimasi is also a great player and ever since breaking into the Ba side has become a great addition. He has been our super sub and has won us games coming off the bench and now
is a regular.
“Yogen has done a mighty job with Ba and he deserved the award.
Kumar had a message for all other districts.
“Other sides need to stop buying players and develop their own. That is how you can produce the likes of Mala, Tuimasi and others.”
Kainihewe said he was proud to have won the award and it wouldn’t have come without the hard work put in by all within the Ba side.
“It has been a team work all the way for Ba,” Kainihewe said.