The Fiji Times

Team Fiji to finalise selection for Pacific Games

TEAM Fiji chef de mission Patrick Bower has called on national federation officials to co-operate as they move closer to narrowing down the final team to the Pacific Games in Samoa in July later this year. The final team names were submitted on Wednesday where the selection justification committee will review the selection of athletes....

“Cowards,” Pacific Games Minister responds

APIA, 26 APRIL 2019 (SAMOA OBSERVER) – The Minister driving Samoa’s Pacific Games preparations, Loau Solamalemalo Sio, has defended the Pacific Games Office against criticism directed at its recruitment of key personnel – including the involvement of the brother of the Games Chief Executive Officer. The Minister of the Education, Sports and Culture who is...

Farah in dispute with Gebrselassie over theft at Ethiopian’s hotel

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s Mo Farah, who will be running in the London Marathon on Sunday, is in dispute with fellow distance-running great Haile Gebrselassie for failing to help him after he was robbed at a hotel in Addis Ababa owned by the Ethiopian. Farah, third last year and facing a monumental challenge to overcome...

New Zealander wins Lausanne 2020 medal design competition

LAUSANNE, 26 APRIL 2019 (INSIDE THE GAMES) -Lausanne 2020 have announced the design for next year’s Winter Youth Olympic Games following a competition run by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). New Zealand’s Zakea Page was named as the winner of the competition having submitted a design, titled “Beauty in Diversity”. Page claimed he had been...

Samoa’s beach volleyball squad set for 2019 Arafura Games

APIA, 25 APRIL 2019 (SAMOA OBSERVER) – Samoa’s national beach volleyball squad’s preparations for the 2019 Arafura Games in Darwin, Australia next week are on track. Coach of the squad, Aaron Alsop, said the Arafura Games 2019 is a international multi-sport event that has attracted participants from the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. “This tournament is...

Tiger to return to Japan at Zozo Championship in October

(Reuters) – Tiger Woods will return to Japan for the first time since 2006 to compete in the inaugural Zozo Championship in October, the Masters champion said on Wednesday. Woods called Japan “one of my favourites countries” in a tweet announcing his decision to play the PGA Tour’s first official event in the Asian country....

English FA ditch champagne for cup winners

(Reuters) – The Football Association (FA) will break with tradition and no longer hand out champagne to competition winners to avoid offending players whose religious beliefs prohibit alcohol consumption. The decision was also taken to avoid handing alcohol to players under the legal age for drinking, which is 18 in Britain. “Winning teams will be...

PNG 400m sprint king pull out of Pacific Games

PORT MORESBY, 25 APRIL 2019 (POST COURIER) – One door closes while another one opens. And this could be true for Pacific Games 400m sprint champion Nelson Stone. The curtain has fallen down on his colourful sporting career. As a six-year-old growing up in the suburb of Tokarara, Moresby North-west electorate in the National Capital...

2019 Pacific Games: Sporting federations submit names to FASANOC

NATIONAL sporting bodies have submitted their final team member names to FASANOC where the selection justification committee will review selected athletes. Team Fiji chef de mission to Pacific Games said the selection justification committee, which consists of prominent people with sporting backgrounds and legal advisors, have a crucial task of verifying names for the next...

Government to help in Sports journalists training

MEMBERS of the Fiji Sports Journalists Association now have more chance to improve their work, thanks to Government, Oceania National Olympic Committee (ONOC), FASANOC and stakeholders who took part in the two-day Fiji Sports Media Symposium in Suva. FSMA had been told that Government, through the Fiji National Sports Commission will allocate funds to help...

Takayawa ready for judo tourney

THE level of competition gets tougher as Tevita Takayawa continues his fight to secure a spot in the 2020 Olympics in Japan. “This year is the first time for the Asian Championship to be organised instead of our yearly Oceania Championship which is always dominated by Australia and New Zealand,” Takayawa said. “This competition is...

Obstacles women face in trying to excel in sports

WOMEN participating in sports face negligence, lack of support and discrimination among other obstacles in trying to excel in sports. This was heard during the second day of the Fiji Sports Media Symposium at the Holiday Inn, Suva this morning. The symposium started this morning with a presentation and panel discussion headed by Women In...

Power to unite

The Fiji Sports Media Association symposium outlined some important facts and significant roles that sports journalists play in the country. Permanent secretary of Youth and Sports Maritino Nemani said sports play a vital role in our community in uniting people. “As sports journalists, you play a vital role in our nation because you convey the...

Sharks visit Fiji for friendly matches

THE Sharks in Paradise hockey team is currently touring the country for its Fiji tour which began in Lautoka earlier this week. Consisting of hockey lovers and enthusiasts, the 18-member squad along with family members have been participating in a series of friendly matches in Lautoka, Rakiraki and last night in Suva at the National...

Swimming duo for Japan study stint

FIJI Swimming accomplished a milestone achievement towards development and productivity when two of its swimmers had been offered Olympic Scholarships for Tokyo 2020. Local and regional champions Matelita Buadromo and Epeli Rabua were given the opportunity to study and train in Japan prior to the 2020 Olympics. Buadromo said the scholarship had opened a new...

Fiji darts aims high, seeks financial support

THE Fiji Darts Association has set a goal to accomplish later this year and that is to attend a darts regional competition in Niue. The development of darts in the country has been facing a lot of issues, but former national champion and association executives, Lawrence Ram and Mahendra Singh continue to work behind the...

Former Fiji 7s rep Dauvucu helps unemployed youths

FORMER Fiji 7s rugby player Aporosa Dauvucu continues to organise and co-fund mini volleyball tournaments for youths in Lami Village and surrounding areas to keep them from being involved in criminal activities. Dauvucu has been organising volleyball tournaments for the past few years. On the Easter long weekend, he was at it again. This time...

Pan claims first tour win by one stroke over Kuchar

(Reuters) – Taiwan’s Pan Cheng-tsung held steady when it counted and won his first PGA Tour tournament with a one-stroke victory over Matt Kuchar as world number one Dustin Johnson stumbled badly on the back nine at the RBC Heritage in South Carolina on Sunday. Pan, who goes by the initials C.T., collected a birdie...

Cricket – Paceman Hassan surprise pick in Afghanistan World Cup squad

MUMBAI (Reuters) – Afghanistan named fast bowler Hamid Hassan, who last played for the side in July 2016, in their 15-man squad for the Cricket World Cup on Monday. Hassan, 31, has played 32 one-day internationals for the war-torn nation and was also part of Afghanistan’s maiden appearance at the 50-over World Cup in Australia...

Special Olympics football captain passes on

TEAM Fiji women’s football captain to the Special Olympics Arieta Lala passed away last Friday after a short illness. The hero for the team Fiji football side scored the winning goal for the team in the bronze medal play-offs against South Africa 1-0 to win the game and the bronze for the team and the...

Suva wins Fiji Games 2019

SUVA has been crowned the overall champion of the Fiji Games 2019 that was held in various venues over five days and attended by hundreds who braved the wet weather conditions to compete throughout the Easter weekend in an event that is held every two years. Suva claimed 60 gold medals, 75 silver and 53...

Former 7s player organises volleyball tournament for youths

FORMER Fiji 7s rugby player Aporosa Dauvucu continues to organise and fund mini-volleyball tournaments for the youths in Lami as he tries to keep them organised and focused and away from getting involved in illegal activities. Dauvucu organised the Burekalou volleyball tournament and is on its second phase of competitions. He said there had been...

Fiji’s touch rugby sides set for World Cup journey

THE Fiji Touch Rugby team will be leaving our shores later today to represent the country at the 2019 Touch World Cup in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The national team was accorded a farewell service at the Raiwaqa Methodist Church in Raiwaqa yesterday. Fiji Touch Rugby president Josua Satavu said the team was blessed with a...

Fiji Swimming targets fast times for Pacific Games

FIJI Swimming is looking to take a small group of quality swimmers to the upcoming Samoa Pacific Games after the final trials were held jointly with the Fiji Games in the weekend at the Damodar City Aquatic Centre in Suva. Team Fiji head coach Sharon Smith said swimmers who had made the qualifying times would...

Suva men shock bowlers

THE Dan Lum On-skippered Suva men’s team pulled off a surprise victory during the Shop N Save Supermarket sponsored Hutson Cup Bowls Championship at the Nadi Sports and Social Club greens yesterday. The side with players such as Martin Fong, Matthew Robinson and Ramesh Chand defeated Tamavua 23-10 in the decisive match to finish ahead...

Boxers’ fitness will be closely monitored: Coach Fuata

FIJI Amateur Boxing head coach Nicholas Fuata says he will be closely monitoring the fitness aspect of the boxers before he can finalise the final team. Fuata says the fitness of the boxers was an essential part of doing well at the upcoming Samoa Pacific Games. “We will have a fitness test after we have...

Cricket – Australia’s Smith says two weeks away from full recovery

MUMBAI (Reuters) – Steve Smith has laid to rest concerns about his fitness and form ahead of Australia’s Cricket World Cup title defence and said he is two weeks away from completely recovering from the elbow surgery he underwent earlier this year. The 29-year-old scored a match-winning unbeaten 59 on Saturday, hours after being named...

Athletics-Former Olympic champion Kiprop gets four-year doping ban

(Reuters) – Kenya’s former Olympic 1500 metres champion Asbel Kiprop has been handed a four-year ban for doping, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said on Saturday. The 29-year-old, who also won three world championship golds, tested positive for the banned blood booster erythropoietin (EPO) in November 2017. Kiprop had argued his urine sample, which was...

Nadal blown away by Fognini in Monte Carlo semis

MONTE CARLO (Reuters) – Rafa Nadal suffered a shock 6-4 6-2 semi-final defeat against flamboyant Italian Fabio Fognini at the Monte Carlo Masters on Saturday, showing rare signs of weakness five weeks before the French Open. The 11-time champion’s loss in tricky conditions ended a series of 25 consecutive sets won on his favourite clay...

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