COMMONWEALTH GAMES
All athletes that meet the criteria set by Athletics Fiji for the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG) will get a chance to prove themselves before a final team is chosen says national coach Antonio Raboiliku.
All athletes that meet the criteria set by Athletics Fiji for the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG) will get a chance to prove themselves before a final team is chosen says national coach Antonio Raboiliku.
Team Fiji Athletics will be sending two athletes to participate at the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago in the month of August.
Antonio said the federation has sent in a squad list of 16athletes.
"From this list we will have to choose a male and female athlete however everyone will get a fair opportunity to make the team," he said.
Antonio said he has been working with the athletes daily after school.
"All the athletes are students and we are trying to balance their training with their academic work," he said.
"We don't want athletes solely focused on training and lacking in their education so finding the right balance while getting the best out of the athletes is the challenge."
Athletes that hope to be a part of Team Fiji participated in the 2023 Easter Championships held last weekend at the HFC Stadium.
"It is encouraging to see the performances and times getting better, but like always there is room for improvement," Antonio said.
"We want our athletes learning and challenging each other to get better."
Antonio said one of the biggest hindrances for him as a coach was age as only men and women between 16 and 17 years of age (athletes born in 2006 and 2007) are eligible to participate in the athletics events at the CYG.
"Unfortunately, right now one of our fastest and consistent female athletes is below that age, so we will need to work with the Commonwealth Programme and what the eligibility rules are and if they are accommodating" he said.
2023 Chef de Mission to the Commonwealth Youth Games, Calvin Yee said it was encouraging to see young athletes showing an interest in the sport.
He also reminded the national coach of the deadlines set by Team Fiji and how important it was to adhere to them.
Athletics is one of five sports that Team Fiji will participate at the Youth Games which also includes Cycling, Swimming, Triathlon and Rugby Sevens.
Team Fiji has attended six CYG games since 2000 and has won 9 medals.
Athletes that have previously attended the CYG include athletics Heleina Young, swimmer Taichi Vakasama and Rugby athletes including Olympian Jiowana Sauto, French based player Temo Mayanavanua and Super Rugby winger Timoci Tavatavanawai.
The CYG held its first edition as the 2000 Millennium Commonwealth Youth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland.
In its strategic document, 'Transformation 2022 Refresh', the CGF recognises that 'With 2 billion people in the Commonwealth and 65% of these under the age of 30, we have to become relevant and accessible to younger people'.
The CYG is a multisport event that provides a platform for athletes aged 14 to 18 years to build friendship and understanding with peers from 71 countries and territories.
The 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games, officially known as the VII Commonwealth Youth Games and informally as Trinbago 2023, is a youth sporting event to be held in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago in 2023.
They will be the seventh edition of the Commonwealth Youth Games.
The games were initially scheduled between 1 and 7 August 2021 but were postponed and now will be held from 4 to 11 August 2023 as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic and scheduling issues with the 2020 Summer Olympics and the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
