HOW strong is the Pacific? Suva will get a taste of the answer when some of the region’s strongest athletes gather for the 2026 Oceania Regional Powerlifting & Bench Press Championships next week.
Vodafone Arena will become the centre of regional strength sport from November 2 to 6, with 230 athletes from 11 countries expected to compete alongside 60 international officials and 25 volunteers.
The participating countries are Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tahiti and Tuvalu.
For the Fiji Powerlifting Federation (FPF), the championships carry added significance as the regional competition returns to Fiji after a 20-year absence.
FPF executive committee member Susana Qionibaravi said the return was a major milestone for the federation, particularly with the sport experiencing considerable growth locally.
“It’s been 20 years since its return, so it’s quite a huge milestone for the Fiji Powerlifting Federation,” she said.
Powerlifting puts athletes’ strength to the test through three disciplines: the squat, bench press and deadlift, while the separate bench press competition provides another platform for lifters to showcase their abilities.
Qionibaravi said the championships would also give local athletes an opportunity to experience international competition without having to travel overseas.
“We are extremely excited in terms of not only hosting, but giving the opportunity for our local athletes to be able to experience an international meet like this,” she said.
Fiji will field 51 athletes, its largest-ever national team at an international meet.
Qionibaravi said competing against lifters from other countries would expose local athletes to a higher level of competition and encourage them to continue developing.
“So hopefully with this opportunity, they obviously get a lot more motivated within the sport to continue,” she said.
Behind the scenes, a 12-member federation team has been working to organise the championships, with support from the Fiji National Sports Commission through a hosting grant and corporate sponsors backing Team Fiji.
Qionibaravi said the organising responsibilities had not been easy, with federation members balancing their jobs, training and event preparations.
“It’s been obviously challenging trying to work around organising the event while also having a nine to five job, while also training,” she said.
With athletes and officials arriving from across the region, the championships will give Fiji an opportunity to showcase its growing powerlifting community while bringing Oceania’s strength athletes together in Suva.
