The Pacific Mini Games in Palau are just days away and Team Fiji’s athletes are ready to represent the country on the international stage.
Team Fiji in the past weeks has had their itatau and Team Assembly to go over final planning and logistics information.
Over the past four weeks, we’ve been covering the sports participating at the upcoming Games. This week we look at the last two sports that make up Team Fiji to Palau, Va’a and Athletics.
Paddling for Pride – The Va’a Team
The Va’a Team is made up of a diverse group consisting of 11 female and 11 male paddlers, along with two coaches and two managers.
The team was selected from a pool of 80 paddlers who had put their names forward for the trials.
The requirement for 50 percent of the squad to be aged 16 to 19 years old added an extra layer of motivation for the junior paddlers, eager to secure their spots on the national team.
The five-day Va’a competition is set to begin on June 30 and conclude on July 4.
The team has trained rigorously, preparing for the different distances and categories they will face ranging from V1 to V6, sprint to marathon events.
The Va’a athletes have the leadership of Elenoa Vateitei, who won two gold medals at the 2023 Pacific Games in Solomin Islands, cementing her place as one of Fiji’s top va’a paddlers.
Her success not only brought glory to Fiji but also inspired the younger generation of paddlers to pursue excellence in va’a. Iris Bentley-Fisher, one of the youngest members of the squad looks up to and is inspired by Elenoa.
Fisher said, “I’ve been watching Elenoa paddle and win medals at competitions. I can’t believe I’m in the same team with her and I look forward to learning as much as I can from her and other senior members of the team.”
The Athletics Team: A New Generation of Stars
The Athletics Team is also a blend of youthful exuberance and seasoned experience. The 33-member squad is part of a larger 186-strong Team Fiji contingent, carrying the nation’s hopes and embodying a new era for Fijian
athletes. The selection includes new found talent from the fiercely competitive Coca-Cola Games.
Rising stars like record-breaking sprinter Sera Nasilivata are among the exciting new faces set to make their international debut.
The team is joined by other impressive young athletes, including Adi Ceva Lutumailagi of Natabua
High School and Frederico Miller from Marist Brothers High School.
Guiding the young athletes will be seasoned campaigners like Olympian Waisake Tewa and Heleina Young. The squad also includes long-distance champion Yeshnil Karan, a three-time Pacific Games gold medallist, who is looking
to defend his title in the men’s 3000-meter steeplechase.
Coach Fesaitu Mario emphasized a long-term vision for the sport, viewing the Pacific Mini Games as a crucial stepping stone towards future international success. “We are not just competing for medals,” he said. “We are building a legacy.”
This is the biggest Athletics team in a long time. Perhaps, we are indeed on our way to rebuilding our once dominant legacy in Athletics.
The team departs for Palau on Friday 27 June with the Opening Ceremony scheduled for 29 June.
Please join us in wishing Team Fiji the very best in Koror, Palau. Go Fiji Go!
