FIJI Weightlifting head coach Henry Elder says proper planning and hard work has seen his team secure medals at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships underway in Suva.
With the championships taking place at the Vodafone Arena in Suva, Elder is optimistic about the team’s performance, anticipating success in terms of winning medals and setting new records.
Recalling Fiji’s medal drought at the 2019 Pacific Games, Elder emphasises the strategic planning and reflection that guided the team’s journey towards success.
“Back in 2019, Fiji had not won a single medal at the Pacific Games (in weightlifting). We did a strategic plan back then. Our federation had sat down, and we looked at the future.,” said Elder.
“We looked at various aspects of our journey that we needed to work on.
“There were specific areas that we had to do a lot of brainstorming on, and we came up with a strategic plan.
“In that plan, we aimed that by 2024, around this time, we would be winning these medals.”
He acknowledges that the level of competition at the 2024 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships surpasses that of the Pacific Games.
“The competition has been quite good. We anticipated something like this. There were some things that didn’t happen to plan but such is competition, such is life,” said Elder.
“You plan for things, and you prepare for things, sometimes they go your way and sometimes they don’t. I think it’s important to be resilient but do reflections on them.
“So far, I’m quite happy with the team’s performance winning medals, it is the Commonwealth Championships so the standard and level is much higher than the Pacific Games, it is much higher than the Pacific Games.
“I mean the Pacific Games is so much lower compared to this. Then you have the Oceania level but then the standard itself is very high.”
“We will be looking forward for Taniela Rainabogi performance tomorrow (today), and surely add our medals.”
The Commonwealth Weightglifting Championships concludes today.
