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Kiribati Sends Three Athletes To Beijing Olympics

By Batiri Bataua on Tarawa
Tuesday: August 05, 2008

Kiribati's minister for Sport Amberoti Nikora is leading a 16-member delegation for the Beijing Olympic Games.

Kiribati National Olympic Committee Secretary Willie Uan explained that only three members of the delegation will be competing, making Kiribati’s sports delegation one of the smallest in Beijing. The Kiribati athletes will compete in two in track events. They are Micronesian Games silver medalist Kaitinano Mwemweata who also went to the Athens Olympic, competing in the 200-meter dash, and Rabangaki Nawai, also in the 200-meter race.

“The third is weightlifter and bronze medalist in the Oceania Championships, David Katoatau, who has been undergoing training in New Caledonia,” said Uan. He joined the Kiribati delegation in Fiji enroute to Beijing this past weekend.

Uan said the rest of the delegation are government representatives, Kiribati National Olympic Committee officials who will be attending serious of meetings, and a group of promising sportsmen and women, who would be undergoing training and camps organized by the International Olympic Committee.

The “Outstanding Micronesian Player” from 2006, David Collins, is the Chef de Mission for the Kiribati team.

This is the second Olympics for Kiribati to participate in.