Fiji Has Officially Joined the Invictus Community of Nations and Will Compete at the Invictus Games Birmingham 2027
Fiji’s wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans will compete at next year’s Invictus Games in Birmingham, as Fiji becomes the 27th nation to join the Invictus Community.
The decision recognises Fiji’s long and proud military tradition. Generations of Fijians have served in the British Armed Forces, including in Afghanistan and Iraq, often returning with physical and mental injuries that can affect them long after service.
Fiji has also made a significant contribution to UN peacekeeping. According to the United Nations, it has sent more troops and police per capita to UN peacekeeping operations than any other country for more than four decades.
Membership will connect wounded, injured and sick personnel, veterans and their families in Fiji with the global Invictus Community, providing year-round opportunities to recover, rebuild confidence and rediscover purpose through sport.
Vilive Dakunimata, served with the British Army in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan before being medically discharged following a diagnosis of PTSD.
“Sport has helped me manage my PTSD. Going for a run helps me cope with the anxiety and difficult days. Fiji joining the Invictus Community means we're not alone. It gives us something positive to look forward to. I've seen what sport can do for recovery, and now I want to help others experience that too.”
David Wiseman, Chief Programmes and Strategy Officer at the Invictus Games Foundation, who served alongside Fijian personnel and was critically injured in Afghanistan, said:
“Fijian personnel have served alongside us in some of the most difficult circumstances. When I was shot in Afghanistan, Lance Corporal Fong, a Fijian soldier, ran across open ground under enemy fire to reach me. His courage helped save my life, and I will never forget it.
“Military service can leave physical and psychological injuries that continue to affect people long after they have left the Armed Forces. I’m proud Fiji is joining the Invictus Community, where its wounded, injured and sick personnel and veterans can connect
with others and take part in year-round opportunities to support their recovery. I look forward to seeing Fiji represented at Birmingham 2027.”
Fiji’s membership follows meetings with the country’s President and Prime Minister, who both welcomed the move and confirmed their support for participation in Birmingham 2027
Helen Helliwell, CEO of Invictus Games Birmingham 2027, said:
“It will be fantastic to welcome Fiji to the Invictus Games Birmingham 2027. They will bring new stories and perspectives to a Games that will welcome more nations than ever before.”
The Foundation will work with organisations in Fiji and across the Invictus Community to develop year-round opportunities shaped around the needs of its service personnel, veterans and families.
Fiji’s membership comes amid the wider growth of the Invictus Movement across the Indo-Pacific, following the inaugural Invictus Australia Sports Festival and ahead of the first Invictus Games in Asia, in Daejeon, Republic of Korea, in 2029.
The Invictus Games Birmingham 2027 will take place from 10 to 17 July 2027.