FASANOC
Weightlifting Fiji is now in intensive preparation for 2023 Pacific Games in Solomon Islands and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Weightlifting Fiji is now in intensive preparation for 2023 Pacific Games in Solomon Islands and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Weightlifting Fiji President Della Shaw Elder said they have not wasted any time and continued their preparations just days after the weightlifting competition at the Pacific Mini Games ended in late June this year.
She said Weightlifting Fiji achieved excellent results at both the 2022 Pacific Mini Games and the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
"While Weightlifting Fiji is satisfied with both outings and is extremely excited about future prospects, there’s much more work required and more strategic resourcing and support that’s needed in order for even better results at the 2023 Solomon Pacific Games and 2024 Olympic Games qualification events," Della said.
Weightlifting Fiji is looking at sending up to three athletes to the 2022 World Weightlifting Championships in Bogota, Colombia, which runs from 5th to 16th December 2022 and will be the first qualifying event for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Weightlifting Fiji has been represented strongly at all the Olympic Games since 1996, when Rupeni Varea became Fiji’s first Olympic Weightlifter in Atlanta.
This was followed by Kesa Tawai at 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, Ivy Shaw in Athens in 2004, Joe Vueti in Beijing in 2008, Maria Liku and Manueli Tulo in 2012 and Manueli Tulo and Apolonia Vaivai at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Maria Liku’s 5th place at the 2012 London Olympic Games, is Fiji’s best placed individual athlete ever at any Summer Olympic Games.
"The road is always tough and there’s always challenges however with better strategic support to aid in all athlete and coaching support systems, Weightlifting will most definitely have a much bigger medal haul and better results at higher level competitions such as the Commonwealth Games, World Championships and Olympic Games," Della said.
Della encourages other athletes who want to try the sport to attend the “Have a Go Days” and Talent Identification which will be run through the Fiji National Sports Commission’s Sports Outreach Programs.
"These Outreach Programs have in the past identified athletes from as far as Kadavu, Serua and Naitasiri who are part of Weightlifting Fiji’s Medal winning athletes.
"Weightlifting provides an excellent platform for talented athletes to represent Fiji and win medals at Pacific, Commonwealth and World Level competitions," she said.
Like most National Federations, Weightlifting Fiji also faces its own challenges which includes building its own High-Performance Gymnasium as part of the long-term development.
"We are looking at an allocation of land for this major project," Della said.
Meanwhile, Weightlifting Fiji is expecting to bid and host the 2024 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships and the 2024 Oceania Championships in Suva.
"These Championships which will be held in February 2024, will attract around 300 athletes from around the world.
"They will also be important qualifying Tournaments for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games," Della said.
The Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (FASANOC) will also be looking closely at International Olympic Committee Scholarship recipient Taniela Tainibogi. The Scholarship will assist Taniela towards qualification for Paris by providing him with support with his training and travel expenses.
It has made Taniela more focused on his goal to qualify for Paris and created a greater belief in himself and his capabilities, which started with a bronze medal win during the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham boosting his confidence.
