FIFTEEN-year-old Karel Ooms won the junior grade of the Battle Paddle event hosted by the Vuda Canoe Club at the Vuda Marina yesterday.
The event was sponsored by Varua Va’a, enjoyed fine weather and a great turnout from four participating clubs Vuda, Nadi Canoe, USP, and Tagafa Canoe Clubs.
Ooms looked sharp and strong throughout his race, finishing impressively to become the first-ever junior winner of the competition. This year marked the first inclusion of a junior category in the event.
Ooms, a Year 10 student at International School Nadi, was overjoyed after his victory.
“I feel good. My main message was to go hard, keep going till you make it,” Ooms said.
He previously made his national debut in the Palau Mini Games before he travelled to Rio for the World Championships in Va’a long distance.
Tournament coordinator Dr Byron Fatiaki was pleased with yesterday’s outcome.
” This tournament is an opportunity for anyone who is interested wants to venture out to the sport that is a minority at the moment but has the potential to progress into something bigger.
” The event helps younger generation we got the junior category who for the first time participating and we got the novice and open category, it an event that can be family oriented hopefully next year we include the masters category,” Fatiaki said.
Dr. Fatiaki explained that introducing a junior category was a key step forward.
” There has to be investment in the younger generation, they are the future and the only way that anything can progress is helping develop that potential.
” We are very excited that there were interests from families and especially the juniors who in recent years have done so well at Pacific Mini Games probably the first time that Va’a sport managed to get a medal from every single paddle that went and that’s achievement that needs to be celebrated
Karel Ooms won the Junior category at the Battle Paddle event hosted by the Vuda Canoe Club held at Vuda Marina in Lautoka. Picture: REINAL CHAND
