The Fiji Para Table Tennis team recently competed at the 2025 ITTF-Oceania Para Championships from September 26-28 in Auckland, New Zealand.
The event, part of a wider Para Table Tennis Festival, brought together 48 athletes from eight countries, including 15 Paralympians.
For Team Fiji, the championships were a chance to test themselves against some of the region’s strongest players and to see how far their training could take them despite plenty of challenges along the way.
The squad of Merewalesi Roden, Akanisi Latu, Iakoba Taubakoa, Eparama Lagi and Jone Vukinamualevu collectively won 1 Gold and 5 Bronze medals and finished in third place on the medal table, behind Australia and New Zealand.
The team was coached and managed by Harvi Yee.
Mere and Akinisi have become familiar to followers of Fijian sport. They also formed the backbone of Team Fiji at various Pacific Games and are still riding high after standout performances at the 2025 Pacific Mini Games in Palau.
At that event, Mere and Akanisi brought home gold in the Women’s Doubles Sitting, a result that put them on the map as one of the region’s most promising pairs.
Their partnership continued to deliver in Auckland. Together, Mere and Akanisi won gold in the Women’s Doubles Sitting C3–5. Individually, both added bronze medals in the Women’s Singles Sitting C3–5.
Kope (Iakoba Taubakoa) also returned with bronze in the Men’s Singles C4–5, while teaming up with Eparama Lagi for another bronze in Men’s Doubles Sitting.
The mixed doubles sitting event saw Mere and Kope finish with bronze, while Jone and Jone secured bronze in Men’s Doubles Standing. Every Fijian athlete at the championships won a medal, contributing to a total haul for Fiji.
While the medals were cause for celebration, the road to Auckland was far from smooth. Preparing a para team in Fiji is complicated by limited funding and resources. The team often struggled to secure suitable training venues and reliable transport.
Many players had to find their own way to practice and regular sessions weren’t always guaranteed. The Fiji Vocational Technical Training Centre provided essential access, allowing the squad to train alongside students but these arrangements were far from ideal
Several organizations stepped up to help: FASANOC and the Smash Down Barriers Program supported athlete training and organized inclusive competitions, while the Fiji Paralympic Committee provided financial assistance that enabled the team to travel.
One athlete was at risk of having to withdraw for financial reasons but was able to compete thanks to last-minute funding from Fiji Holiday Inn.
Such gestures made a real difference in allowing the team to compete at all.
Internal issues within the Fiji Table Tennis Association have impacted preparations and made it harder for athletes to focus solely on their sport.
The team and supporters alike hope these matters will be addressed soon, so that future squads can prepare under better conditions.
Following the Oceania Para championships, the team is turning their attention to the upcoming training camp and the New Zealand Para Open, scheduled to run until October 4 at the same venue.
The results from Auckland also serve as a qualification pathway for the 2026 World Para Championships but official confirmation of Fiji’s qualifiers is still pending.
Some athletes, particularly Mere and Akanisi, have put themselves in strong positions and could soon find themselves representing Fiji on the world stage.
For now, the medals from Auckland and the gold from Palau are reminders of what’s possible, even when the odds aren’t favourable.
Team Fiji’s para table tennis players have shown what can be achieved through effort, partnership and the support of a committed community. Their stories are still being written.
Fiji’s Merewalesi Roden (L) and Akanisi Latu at the 2025 ITTF-Oceania Para Championships awards ceremony last week. Picture: FASANOC
