Despite being confined to crutches from an injury sustained more than 20 years ago, Nand Kumar made sure to attend the Fiji FACT semi-finals that featured his home town team Labasa against Lautoka.
The 70-year-old travelled more than 80 kilometres to Subrail Park in Labasa, where he came to support the hosting team that played against the defending champions of the tournament yesterday.
“There’s only one bus that comes to Labasa from our area, so I had to make sure to catch the bus so that I would be able to make it in time for the game,” he said.
Kumar injured himself back in 2005 while working with his construction team on the Labasa Courthouse.
“I used to be a carpenter, and we were working on the Labasa Courthouse when I fell down and injured my back and legs.”
Despite not being able to walk without his crutches, Kumar was determined to attend and support his side at the Subrail Park.
“It’s not easy walking around when you’re injured like this, but I am a huge fan of our home team so I don’t care how long it’ll take me to reach the ground, I will still make the effort to be there and support the boys.”
This is not the first time Kumar has gone out of his way to watch Labasa play, as he has attended countless matches held at Subrail Park over the years.
“I’ve even attended some of their matches which were played in Viti Levu, but since I’m getting old, I haven’t been able to do so lately.”
He said having the Fiji FACT held in Labasa was a blessing in disguise for him, as he knew he would not have been able to attend the tournament if it wasn’t held in Vanua Levu.
“So I want to thank the Fiji Football Association for bringing the tournament here to Labasa which makes it easier for a lot of football fans to watch the tournament.”
Looking at the Labasa side, Kumar said he was proud of how they performed throughout the tournament, having booked a spot in the semi-finals after coming out undefeated in their pool.
“They have done very well this year, and I want them to know that we the people of Labasa will support them no matter what.”