OCEANIA’S number two Mere Roden is eyeing a spot in the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio, Brazil.
Table Tennis para-athlete Roden is a top medal contender for the Paralympics Games and she is aiming for a solid show in the Para Table Tennis China Open in Beijing from November 19th-25th.
The Fiji National Sports Commission yesterday provided Fiji Table Tennis Federation with $20,500 for Roden’s trip to China for the qualifying tournament.
“Mere Roden’s participation in this international tournament automatically qualifies her for a place to compete in the 2016 Rio Paralympic Table Tennis women’s singles,” FTTF president Anthony Ho said.
“Mere has done a lot of hard work. She comes here (Fiji Table Tennis Training Centre) almost every day to train.”
Roden won a gold medal in the Pacific Games in Papua New Guinea earlier this year.
In April, she won two silver medals at the International Table Tennis Federation Para Table Tennis Championship in Bendigo, Melbourne while competing in the women’s singles and mixed team grades.
“I thank God for making everything possible. Things happened so quickly,” she said.
Roden started playing competitive table tennis last year.
She will be accompanied to China by her coach, manager and an executive of Fiji Paralympic Committee.
Fiji National Sports Commission chairman Peter Mazey said Roden was one of the top players in the region.
He said the commission was ready to support her “all the way to Rio”.
