A mother who trained boxers was what Temalesi Tadu of Suva was known as in the late ’70s. The Daliconi, Vanuabalavu, Lau, native was a boxing manager and trainer at the Nausori Youth Centre.
The Fiji Times was intrigued by her story and published an article on June 4, 1977, sharing her passion for boxing and helping youths in her community.
For the three years that Mrs Tadu was a boxing manager and trainer, she trained many youths in the ring, teaching them the ropes of basic boxing.
She said as a youth worker, she had to devote her time to anything which involved youth — irrespective of their sex, race or colour.
“The centre has about 30 members in the boxing club, which I have been running since it was founded three years ago,” she said.
The club started when the centre recruited new members, most of whom listed their favourite sport as boxing.
“We had no difficulty in setting up the club because Luke Veikoso (Tongan heavyweight boxer) was a member of the club then,” she said.
“The club got more members and finally ended up at the standard we have now.”
Mrs Tadu said the club had some good boys who were fit and strong but they lacked the willpower to stop drinking liquor and smoking cigarettes.
They had been doing quite well at amateur boxing and some had gone in for the finals to select a team for overseas fights.
Mrs Tadu said she and other helpers such as Jope Waqa and Viliame Kikau did their best to keep their boys in peak form.
Mrs Tadu said that being a youth worker, she had to fit in with any activity.
She was the vice-president of the Nausori netball association and captain-coach of the Nausori Youth Centre team.
She had been representing Nausori in volleyball and netball in previous years and she captained the Kontiki hockey team.
She also played lawn tennis and indoor basketball.
Mrs Tadu married Jofiliti Tadu in 1964 and they had three children. She was the youngest in a family of nine girls and two boys.
