Weightlifting Fiji Duo To Compete In Australia

Weightlifting Fiji is sending two athletes that includes International Olympic Committee Scholarship recipient Taniela Rainibogi, to compete in two separate competitions in Australia over the next two weekends.

In addition to this, there is an Oceania Junior Training and Coaching Clinic at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra from March 26 to April 2, 2023 which will be attended by National Coach Henry Elder and weightlifters Eroni Talemaigau and Taniela Rainibogi in Canberra said Weightlifting Fiji President Della Shaw Elder.

The team will be a part of a week program along with other Elite Oceania Senior lifters like Don Opeloge, Eileen Cikamatana, Sanele Mao and Nevo Ioane.

The first competition will be the 2023 Pacific Elite International Weightlifting Tournament at the Victorian Weightlifting Stadium in Hawthorn, on Saturday, March 25th and with the second competition held in Canberra a week later.

Taniela, with National Head Coach Henry Elder and four other lifters from Samoa, will travel to Melbourne this Friday and will be joined in Nadi by Eroni Talemaigau whilst transitioning to Australia.

Eroni had been training in Suva under the guidance of Weightlifting Fiji Manager and Development coach Ratu Orisi Rumasakea and Weightlifting Fiji President Della Shaw

Henry said he was keen on testing the progress of his athlete especially after a month of training at the Samoa Weightlifting Federation High-Performance Training center at Tuanaimato Sports Complex in Apia, Samoa.

"After having accompanied several athletes at the center I feel that the Pacific and even Australia and New Zealand can benefit from training attachments in Apia under Jerry Wallwork, the President and Head coach of the HPTC and Samoa Weightlifting Federation," he said.

"Wallwork’s experience and many attachments to other coaches and international institutions, have helped him develop as a coach and he has now now set the standard for the Oceania region.

"This can be seen in Samoa's progress has over the last couple of decades having won numerous medals at the Mini Pacific Games, Pacific Games, Oceania Championships, Commonwealth games and championships, Junior World Championships, and the Olympic Games," he said.

Following the Training Camp in Canberra, the trio will return to Samoa to resume training until the second week of May. They will then remain in Fiji until the Commonwealth Championships in Deli, India scheduled for July 12th, 2023.

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