Sports
On Your Marks
Pacific Athletes Set To Excel At Commonwealth Games
As the Queen's Baton was carried, flown and sailed through the Pacific
Island countries belonging to the Commonwealth late last year, athletes
were finalizing their preparation for the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in
March. A number of Pacific nations are confident of going home with medals.
The red hot contender is Nauru's Yukio Peter, who won a silver medal in the clean and jerk in the 77kg category of the Weightlifting World Championships in Qatar. Peter is an Olympic Committee scholarship holder and is highly fancied for the gold. Dennis Miller, the Oceania National Olympic Committee program manager, also likes Papua New Guinea's Dika Toua, 19-year-old Nauruan super heavyweight Itte Detenamo and Niuean Sioe Haioti in the weightlifting competition. - ADVERTISEMENT -
The rugby sevens teams of Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Cook Islands will have hopes of medals in their competition. Seven teams in the rugby competition will come from Oceania, including the late inclusion of Niue, following the withdrawal of Zambia.
Seven of the teams in the competition are ranked in the top 10, led by Fiji, the Rugby World Cup Sevens holders. New Zealand is the defending champion. Fiji also believes it has a chance at the gold in lawn bowls, following the success of Litia Tikoisuva and Caucau Turagabeci at the Asia Bowls and the Champion of Champions Series. Miller says Papua New Guinean swimmer Ryan Pini has a "pretty good chance" of a medal in the 100 butterfly event, as he is ranked in the top six in the Commonwealth. On the field, Tongan discus thrower Nele Hifo Uhi and shot-putter Ana Pohiva are possibilities for medals, although they face very tough competition from the Australian and New Zealand athletes.
Fiji is the highest ranked Pacific Island team in the netball competition, but Miller says they have drawn the toughest pool, with England and Australia. As for boxing, "You never know what can happen," says Miller. "It's all the luck of the draw but Tonga and Samoa are always pretty good in that area and Fiji also has a good team." Fiji is also sending (trap) shooter Glenn Kable, who went to the Athens Olympics and is currently ranked second in Australia.
A number of Pacific athletes will compete in the badminton, cycling and triathlon events in Melbourne, something Miller describes as "more of a development exercise" than a serious tilt at the medals. In the lead up to the Games, Australia announced it has offered to invest AUD$10 million (US$7.47 million) for the development of young people through sports in Commonwealth countries. "The investment by Australia is putting more meaning to sports as a development tool," said Mike Fennell, president of the Commonwealth Games Federation. "Countries also need to commit more in their sports budget because sport is an investment in their youth." Results of the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne will be posted at http://www.melbourne2006.com.au/
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