THE inaugural Archery Oceania Cup, hosted on Denarau Island from October 10 to 12, showcased the best of Pacific archery.
While the event provided a much-needed boost for the sport’s visibility in Fiji, the results made clear just how challenging the regional field has become.
Archery, a sport with ancient roots and modern Olympic prestige, is also a compulsory sport at the Pacific Games, where it draws top shooters from across Oceania.
Earlier this year, Team Fiji sent a contingent of archers alongside athletes from other sports to the Palau 2025 Pacific Mini Games, underscoring the country’s commitment to developing its talent pool in this demanding discipline.
The Oceania Cup kicked off with a symbolic gesture, as Olympian Robert Elder and Pacific Games double-silver medalist Chaandvi Prasad took the opening shots for Fiji.
Elder, a long-time and respected archer, continues to inspire Fiji’s archery community, while Prasad remains one of the nation’s most consistent performers.
At the Cup, Prasad added to her medal tally with a hard-fought bronze in the Recurve Women’s division, standing on the podium behind New Zealand’s Julia Harrison (gold) and Kelly Atkinson (silver).
Prasad’s consistency across regional events signals her as a key figure for Fiji’s archery future.
The men’s recurve division, long considered the blue-ribbon event, had Australians Christopher Jackson, Alex Smith and Eduardo Delos Reyes taking a clean sweep.
Fiji’s best result in the youth categories came from Damien Kivi, who secured gold in Recurve Under-21 Men, a bright spot for the home team and a sign of potential for the next generation.
Fiji did find more success in the compound categories.
Jacob Kivi secured bronze in Compound Men and Sadie Tunaulu won silver in Compound Women, though both faced strong showings from Solomon Islands and New Zealand athletes.
Sadie Tunaulu delivered Fiji’s only gold in the Compound Women’s WA720 ranking round and followed up with a silver in matchplay, edged out by Solomon Islands’ Gianna Lepping.
Elizabeth Bennett, picked up silver in the Recurve 50+ Women’s division and bronze in the Recurve Mixed 60m event – a commendable effort.
Beyond the athletes, the event marked a significant step forward for the technical side of archery in Fiji. Caroll Sela, World Archery Fiji Secretary and George Fong officiated as accredited World Archery Oceania National Judges for the first time, together with Ajay Ballu, shadowing experienced judges from Australia, New Zealand and Tahiti.
The hope is that these investments in technical standards will help close the gap with regional rivals in future editions.
Organisers praised the event’s smooth operations and highlighted the contributions of sponsors: Fiji National Sports Commission, FIJI Water, IP 1, NRW Macallan (Fiji) Ltd and Ticketmax, without whom the tournament would not have been possible.
The positive feedback from visiting teams was welcomed by World Archery Fiji president Nathan Kirk, who noted the event’s role in promoting archery’s growth in the Pacific.
Archery’s history, from its roots as an ancient tool of survival to its modern Olympic status, shows a sport in constant evolution.
The Oceania Cup’s debut in Fiji was undoubtedly a milestone but it also exposed the work still needed if local archers hope to consistently challenge the region’s best.
As the targets are packed away and medals counted, Fiji’s archery community can reflect on a well-run event and moments of individual achievement.
But the overall standings serve as a reminder: the region’s standard is rising and for Fiji, the path to the top will require deeper investment, broader participation and continued commitment to development, on and off the shooting line.
