Levuka WEIGHTLIFTERS fiGHT a losing battle
Today is another chance for Levuka weightlifters to be considered for the Oceania Championships in Noumea on June 26 to -30 and the Youth Olympic Games in Argentina in October.
Weightlifting Fiji has provided another lifeline for the Levuka Weightlifting Club that continues to boycott representing Fiji after the selection of Hossein Tavakoli as national head coach.
Firstly, they didn’t attend the final trials at the National Fitness Centre in Suva yesterday.
And they plan to boycott the meeting convened by the Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (FASANOC) at the Fiji Olympic House at 10am in Suva today.
Weightlifting Fiji sought the help of FASANOC to mediate on the dispute.
A FASANOC delegation of Makarita Lenoa (FASANOC vice-president), Dr Robin Mitchell (Fiji Hockey Federation president), Manasa Baravilala (Boxing Fiji president) and Makelesi Batimala (athletes representative) travelled to Levuka on May 30 to get the views of athletes and officials.
The delegation shared their own experiences and knowledge of how the structure of sports works in Fiji and the impact this conflict could have on the pathway of high performing athletes, particularly on those who had secured International Olympic Committee scholarships for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
The IOC scholarship holders are Eileen Cikamatana, Manueli Tulo and Apolonia Vaivai, members of the Levuka Weightlifting Club. They are likely to lose the benefits.
These lifters and the rest must first follow protocol and abide by the rules or they will be isolated.
The lifters of Levuka have already made their mark in flying the Fijian Flag with pride, but they need to play by the rules of the game like other sportspeople. Simply put, they will lose out in the end because they are fighting a losing battle.
It will be a wasted effort for the lifters who trained regularly in Baba, Levuka because they will have no proper forum to compete in.
They need to understand that the controlling authority of the sport in the country is Weightlifting Fiji, which is recognised by the Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee.
The International Weightlifting Federation and the International Olympic Committee deal through FASANOC and Weightlifting Fiji and not individual clubs. We applaud the achievements of Levuka Weightlifting Club over the years.
But, those running the show must think of the future of the young lifters.
There is no point in delving in administrative issues which should be solved through dialogue.
WF intends to enter a team of six boys and six girls in the different weight categories at the Youth Olympic Games.
But, first they need to take part in the championships in Noumea to qualify.
Levuka lifters need to be in to compete and stay in the sport.
No one wants to see them left out and be isolated.