Weightlifting Pick Tulo, Eileen
Weightlifting Fiji has nominated Manueli Tulo and Eileen Cikamatana as their nominees for the sportsman/ sportswoman of the year at the 2017 Fiji Sports Awards on March 2.
Weightlifting Fiji entered 10 of the 11 categories in a phenomenal year for the sport and nominations are to recognise their on and off the platform performances.
Sportswoman of the Year – Eileen Cikamatana
2017 has seen Eileen go from strength to strength as she moved up the weight category from 69Kg to compete in the new 90kg category.
The whole year, her competition bodyweight has not gone over 82kg and yet she’s medalled in the 90Kg at every championship she’s competed. She’s surely and steadily increased her lifts from a total of 236Kg in March to 253Kg in September.
She has been recognized for her contribution as an athlete, as a role model and as a leader to be selected twice to be Fiji’s flag bearer at the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games and the Pacific Mini Games.
Sportsman of the Year –; Manueli Tulo finished 8th in the world with his 8th placing at the World Championships in Anaheim, USA.
This is the best performance by any Fiji weightlifter ever at any senior World Championships. Tulo maintained his 10- year unbeaten record in the 56Kg weight category in any competition in the Oceania Region, since 2008. Tulo won 3 gold medals at the Oceania Championships, in Gold Coast, 3 gold medals at the Pacific Mini Games while finishing a very close 5th in the Commonwealth Championships. The other nominations are: Sports Organisation of the Year – Sports Volunteer of the Year –
Chris Yee; Sports Administrator of the Year – Ritesh Ratiram Technical Official of the Year – Della Shaw-Elder
Coach of the year –Henry Elder
Sports Photograph of the Year – Peni Komaisavai (Fiji Sun)
Young athlete of the Year-Maria Mareta Fiji Sports Team of the Year