The Fiji Powerlifting Federation (FPF) East v West competition has reached a new milestone with close to 70 athletes taking part in the two-day event that ended on Saturday at the National Fitness Centre in Nasese, Suva.
The strong turnout made this the biggest competition in the federation’s history and reflected the rapid growth of powerlifting around the country.
FPF committee member Tegumailagi Toganivalu said organisers were thrilled with the response from athletes.
“This is the biggest competition in our federation’s history,” Toganivalu said.
“We have close to 70 athletes and because of that large number we’ve had to make this competition a two-day competition.”
The event has also seen a rise in female participation with 12 women competing this year, the highest number recorded by the federation.
Toganivalu said despite powerlifting being a minority and non-Olympic sport in Fiji, the dedication shown by athletes and supporters continued to push the sport forward.
“Small sport, big hearts — there’s a whole lot of passion and support from family and friends,” she said.
Several lifters have already produced strong performances and unofficial national records as they aim for selection into Team Fiji for the Oceania Regional Powerlifting Championships, which Fiji will host in Suva in November.
