NWYC2025 - Fiji win the Oceania versus Asia battle of wits

Two sides that had played against Gibraltar on their way to the 11th/12th place play-off final, Malaysia and Fiji, came face to face on Saturday afternoon.

Malaysia had been Gibraltar’s second opponents in the group stage, while Fiji were the first side Gibraltar faced in the knockout stages.

It was an Oceania versus Asia clash, featuring two very different styles of play and two contrasting teams in terms of physicality.

Fiji made the brighter start, taking an 11-8 lead with five minutes of the first quarter gone. Malaysia, slower to settle, soon began to find their rhythm and produced some of the passages of play that had earned them much admiration earlier in the tournament.

Before the quarter ended, Malaysia had narrowed the gap to just two goals. However, a “no goal” call late on was a setback, and Fiji held a 14-11 advantage at the break.

Malaysia continued to apply pressure as they pushed to draw level, but Fiji responded well, maintaining their composure and protecting a two-goal cushion. In the closing minutes of the second quarter, Fiji stretched their advantage to four, forcing Malaysia to up their game with faster passing. The tactic worked, with Malaysia reducing the gap back to two at 27-25, thanks in part to their hard work in defence to deny Fiji a late three-goal margin.

Fiji delivered a crucial surge in the third quarter, extending their lead to 42-35 by the end of the period. From there, the Oceania side, who had qualified automatically as one of the top four in their region, used their experience to stay firmly in control.

An injury stoppage following an accidental elbow to a Malaysian player briefly disrupted play in the final quarter, but Fiji kept their focus. They preserved their advantage to secure a 56-44 victory and claim 11th place.

All images courtesy NWYC2025