Kete expects Fiji to be one of the last two teams standing after the Oceania Netball qualifier

Balancing education and training was a challenge for 20-year-old Jimaima Kete but her love for the sport of netball kept pushing her to reach her dream of joining the Fiji Pearls who will be competing in the Vodafone Oceania Netball World Cup Qualifier at the Vodafone Arena.

The Fiji National University student says her schedule of waking up at 6 in the morning and taking part in two training sessions in the morning and afternoon was a challenge for her.

She says her expectation for this competition is for Fiji to be one of the two teams that qualifies for the Netball World Cup in South Africa next year.

Kete adds she started playing netball in Year 3 for AOG Primary School and urges young girls who want to become national players to keep going, never give up and keep pushing themselves.

Kete is one of the three players to make their debut for Fiji including 19-year-old Avelina Navue and 20-year-old Kalesi Tawake.

The Pearls will need to finish in the top two to secure their spot at next year’s Netball World Cup in Cape Town.

The competition will start today at the Vodafone Arena where the Fiji Pearls will take on PNG Pepes at 5.30pm while Samoa will face Tonga Tala at 7.30pm.

Tickets will be $5 for adults and $3 for children 12 and under.