The Technical Director of Fiji Football Association, Timo Jankowski recently led a team on a study visit to Sydney as part of preparations for launching a National Academy in Fiji by 2025.
The FFA team consisted of: Timo Jankowski – Technical Director, Anushil Kumar – General Manager Operations, Sushil Singh – Head of Development South, Dhirend Chand – Head of Development West, Annette Charmayne Nainima – Head of Women’s Talent Identification and Development and Sunil Kumar – Head of Talent Development
During the visit, aimed at gaining insights into high-performance environments, the team engaged in a session with Academy Manager Nick Susko, focusing on youth and NPL Senior teams’ training methods.
Jankowski shared his observations, noting the unified approach to coaching and player development as particularly impactful.
“What was great to see was the aligned way of working, serving the coaches and the players having an aligned philosophy, which was very visible on the pitch. This aligned philosophy resulted in high-quality players and exceptional training sessions,” he said.
According to Jankowski, the visit is critical for tailoring the academy’s operations to Fiji’s unique context while drawing on global best practices.
“It’s a Fijian specific project, so it’s very great to have the top people here with me because they are the key persons to implement it in a real Fijian way,” he added, emphasizing the trip’s role in inspiring the Fijian team through exposure to one of the best academies in the Oceania Football Confederation, and possibly Asia.
With the insights gained, the Fijian FA aims to translate these learnings into the Fijian environment, enhancing the country’s football talent development and performance at the international level.
