Tabuatalei inducted in Hall of Fame
Patrick Bower conferred the Fiji Olympic Order
The Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (FASANOC) announced the induction of Athlete and Va’a paddler, Salome Tabuatalei, into its Hall of Fame and conferred long serving sports administrator, Patrick Bower the Fiji Olympic Order.
The Fiji Sports Hall of Fame was inaugurated in 1990 as an everlasting tribute to sportsmen and sportswomen of Fiji.
The Hall of Fame acknowledges and honours Fiji’s super athletes who have competed in Fiji and abroad against the best in the world.
Many have excelled and brought glory and fame to themselves and contributed immensely to sports in the country.
Tabuatalei is a source of inspiration not only to the younger athletes but to the women of Fiji.
She is an excellent role model athlete who has achieved success through her determination and perseverance.
She currently holds the Fiji records for the women’s 1500m, 3000m, 5000m, 10,000m and half marathon all of which were set in the 1990s.
Tabuatalei joins 44 other inductees, which also includes the history making rugby sevens men’s team from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
The Fiji Olympic Order was introduced in 2001 to recognise and honour the great work that the sports entourage (administrators, coaches and officials) do to make it all possible for our Fiji athletes to perform and excel on the world stage.
Most are volunteers who contribute in the following areas:
■Sports administration
■Sports management
■Coachi■g/tech■ica● aspects of sports development
■Sports medicine
Bower, known to many hundreds of students he has taught both in the classroom and on the athletics track as Master Bower, has been involved in sports for most of his life.
Many may not know that Bower was a champion athlete and hockey player in his school days and so understands what it takes to become an athlete both on and off the field.
He was Team Fiji’s chef de mission to Tokyo 2020 where Team Fiji won their second gold medal in men’s rugby sevens and Fiji’s first bronze medal contributed by the women’s sevens team.
FASANOC president, Makarita Lenoa said, “We’re thrilled to induct Salome to the Fiji Sports Hall of Fame and confer Patrick the Fiji Olympic Order.
“Their contributions to sports in Fiji are fully deserving of such recognition within the walls of Fiji Olympic House.
“We look forward to adding more plaques to the Hall of Fame in the coming years.”
The Hall of Fame and Fiji Olympic Order Dinner was at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva last night where retired business professional, Ram Bajekal was the guest speaker.