Daily Archives: February 27, 2024

Don Opeloge broke records and made a significant move in the Paris 2024 rankings when he won the 102kg title for Samoa at the Oceania Championships in Auckland, New Zealand. Opeloges 175-215-390 was the best ever effort by any Samoan weightlifter on Sinclair points.

Another upward move came from Kiana Elliott from Australia, who finished ahead of her rankings rival Mattie Sasser at 59kg. The news was not so good for Elliotts team-mate Eileen Cikamatana, who bombed out at 81kg.

Opeloge would have gone into eighth place in the rankings if he had not dropped the bar before the down signal on his final attempt at 220kg. He also missed his final snatch attempt on 180kg. Opeloge, 24, broke Commonwealth and Oceania records in snatch and total as he moved level with the athletes ranked ninth and tenth on 390kg.

Im very proud of Don, a humble young man who has worked very hard, said Samoas head coach and federation president Jerry Wallwork. He was very unlucky with that 220. Now the target is 400 in Thailand. Lets hope all goes well with the preparations.

Dan Opeloge (SAM)

Wallwork was referring to the final Olympic qualifier, the IWF World Cup in Phuket which runs fromMarch 31toApril 11.

Elliott and Sasser are both ranked in the top 20 and will go head to head in Phuket for a continental qualifying slot. Sasser, who lifted for Marshall Islands at Rio 2016 and is back with her homeland after a spell competing for the United States, holds the advantage with a best total of 214kg.

Sasser snatched an Oceania record 98kg to lead by 1kg. Elliott turned the tables to win on 97-114-211, an improvement of 3kg in the rankings. She would have gone above Sasser if she had made her final attempt at 118kg.

Ive been told my performance is the second highest Sinclair ever for an Australian female weightlifter, said Elliott, who lifted at the Tokyo Olympics. Thats a huge achievement for me and my coach Martin Harlowe after almost 11 years of investment in my weightlifting career.

Elliott had a good word for the Australian Weightlifting Federation, which recently changed its policy and now allows personal coaches to work with their athletes at international events.

It has had a huge impact on my performance in Qatar (96-112-208) and here in Auckland, said Elliott. I hope to see this ethos continue to drive the sport in Australia. I am absolutely aiming for Paris qualification in Thailand.

Cikamatana remains fifth in the 81kg list on 261kg after failing three times to snatch 113kg. Obviously Eileen was devastated, said her coach Paul Coffa. She will be looking to redeem herself in Phuket. Hayley Whiting from New Zealand won on 92-105-197.

Australia also has a chance of a continental place at 89kg, where Kyle Bruce and Oliver Saxton will also go against each other in Thailand.There was only 1kg between them in snatch, but Saxton bombed out in clean and jerk. Bruce, who won on 147-181-328, holds a 7kg advantage in the rankings.

There will be another Australian head-to-head in the womens 71kg. Jacqueline Nichele, who bombed out on 94kg in the snatch in Auckland, has a 2kg rankings advantage over Sarah Cochrane, who won on 97-112-209.

David Liti from New Zealand made his best total since the Tokyo Olympics when he won the mens super-heavyweights on 177-236-413. Sanele Mao from Samoa bettered 400kg for the first time in second place on 178-230-408, and will try to close the 5kg gap in Phuket.

Iuniarra Sipaia had another good result for Samoa in winning the womens super-heavyweights. Sipaia looks bound for Paris after improving her best qualifying total by 1kg on 110-155-265. She is ninth in the rankings.

Dika Toua (PNG)

Dika Touas attempt to break the all-time record for appearances at the Olympic Games will go down to the wire, too. Toua, from Papua New Guinea, narrowly failed with her final attempts as she won at 49kg to claim her 15thcontinental title.

She made the first lift by a woman at Sydney 2000 aged 16 and is trying to make it to a sixth Games in Paris in August, by which time she will be 40.

On a day when her 13-year-old daughter Ani Guavera won at 40kg and her sister Thelma took the 45kg title, Toua made 70-92-162. She missed her final snatch on 74kg, then easily cleaned 100kg but failed to complete the jerk.

Her total was lower than her best in qualifying and she remains 4kg behind her rival for the continental place at this weight, Rosina Randafiarison from Madagascar.

If she fails to make up the difference in Phuket, Touas hopes will not be dead. She has also applied for a universality slot. Six universality places, chosen by a Tripartite Commission, are available to nations that do not regularly qualify large teams for the Olympic Games.

To complete a memorable day for the most famous weightlifting family in Papua New Guinea, Dikas cousin Morea Baru won the mens 61kg on 112-150-262. He is all but sure of claiming a continental qualifying place for Paris.

There was ninth straight Oceania title for 40-year-old Jenly Wini from Solomon Islands at 55kg and a first for 14-year-old Femily Notte (from Nauru) at 64kg. Notte, who started weightlifting aged eight, made six good lifts in her 90-115-205 to take a sweep of youth, junior and senior titles. That was a 22kg improvement on her total at the World Youth Championships in Albania last year, where she finished sixth.

Another teenage winner wasAvatu Opeloge for Samoa, daughter of the Beijing 2008 silver medallist Ele Opeloge. The 18-year-old made 91-120-211 at 76kg.

Fijis Taniela Rainibogi improved his best qualifying total by 8kg in making 160-205-365 to finish second to Don Opeloge, his friend and often his training partner.

Fijis s younger lifters had a successful time in Auckland, giving evidence that the nations development plans for weightlifting are working well.

Zion Tokona, 16, broke Oceania records in his age group in winning the youth 96kg on 130-148-278. He has been a weightlifter for less than two years. Double gold medallist Miah Elder made 125-137-262, good enough for fourth in the 73kg seniors at the age of 14.

By Brian Oliver

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Oceania Championships: Record-breaking Samoan Opeloge and Australia's Elliott make moves in Olympic rankings - International Weightlifting Federation...

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ABOARD THE CUTTER HARRIET LANE >> It was a hot, humid and cloudy day in the South Pacific as the U.S. Coast Guards Cutter Harriet Lane pulled into port in Apia, Samoa, earlier this month.

It was the second stop for the 270-foot Medium Endurance Cutter known as 270s in its new role as the Coast Guards Indo-Pacific Support Cutter devoted to operations in Oceania.

The nearly 40-year-old ship arrived in Hawaii in December after undergoing over a years worth of renovations at a Baltimore shipyard. In January it set sail for its first Pacific deployment, heading south into the high seas where members of its crew boarded fishing vessels to look for signs of illegal fishing.

It had made a quick stop in American Samoa before heading west into Samoan waters, where Lanes crew picked up and worked with Samoan law enforcement officials aboard as ship riders for several days, allowing the Samoans to use Lanes resources and its crew to board fishing vessels within their own jurisdiction through an agreement with the U.S. government.

In Apia, the Lane was supposed to drop off the Samoan ship riders, resupply and send members of its crew shore-side for a series of community service projects and outreach with other Samoan officials.

But as the ship moored at the pier, powerful swells and surf in the harbor raised alarm bells for officers and crew aboard. A storm system was passing through and it could be felt in the seas. The ropes tying the ship to the pier let out audible sounds of strain as the water churned.

Nearby in the port a capsized Chinese fishing vessel offered a vivid visual of what could happen to those who gamble on the oceans power.

Cmdr. Nicole Tesoniero, Lanes captain, ultimately decided the risk was too high to stay in the port.

The ship riders got off and the Lanes cooks and other crews hastily brought on food supplies from the pier to restock the kitchen. Then Tesoniero met with officials with the U.S embassy and explained the potential danger while making new plans on the fly. Lane left as the strain on the ropes reached its peak.

The ship returned to the sea, but stayed nearby. The next day, a handful of crew members left the Lane aboard an over the horizon boat a small inflatable boat the ship uses for interdictions and boardings to return to Apia for a day of classroom exercises with Samoan law enforcement. That night, Lane set sail bound for Suva, Fiji, for a port call there to wait out the stormy weather before picking up Fijian ship riders and resuming operations.

Tesoniero said that its all part of a process of trial and error as the Lane and its crew undertake a mission they never have before. The Lane and the rest of the Coast Guards 270s have a long history in the Caribbean and Latin America doing Drug War missions for which they were designed, along with search-and-rescue operations. Theres a wealth of knowledge and experience to draw on whenever a challenge comes along.

But Tesoniero said that in the Pacific were now at the point of everything we do, were the first 270 to ever do it. Its the first 270 to ever cross the international dateline at 40-years-old.

As the Lane traverses the Pacific, Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan is also making a series of visits to Pacific Island countries, meeting top officials. The Coast Guard is playing an increasingly key role in Americas Pacific strategy as the U.S. competes with China for influence.

Sustained presence

Tesoniero runs the ship with both a sense of authority and a sense of humor, walking a fine line between being both a commander and shipmate as she leads a relatively small crew. A fully staffed 270 would have a crew of just over 100, but low recruitment and retention mean Lane relies on a revolving door of crew members and Coasties on temporary duty assignments to keep it running.

Over the course of her military career, Tesoniero has navigated both storms at sea on ships as well as the nuances of the halls of political power. She both taught at the Coast Guard Academy and did a stint on the staff of former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley at the Pentagon.

Now its her job to lead Lane and its crew on a mission that top officials in Washington hope will breathe new life into Americas Pacific engagement strategy. The Coast Guard has been working to increase its Pacific operations, with a major focus on outreach to Pacific Island nations as well as efforts to clamp down on illegal fishing.

Overfishing has become a hot topic, particularly in Oceania, where fishing vessels from around the world descend on the Pacifics Tuna Belt as fish stocks elsewhere see unprecedented depletion.

Some of the companies operating these vessels have been accused of flouting environmental regulations and underreporting their catches. By some estimates, as many as one in five fish sold in supermarkets may have been caught illegally. In 2020 the Coast Guard declared illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing which maritime agencies call IUU had surpassed high-seas piracy as the top global maritime security threat.

Along with the environmental effects, overfishing has had economic and social consequences at times sparking tension as fishermen from different countries compete for fish stocks. Around the world, fishermen struggling to bring in enough fish have at times turned to piracy, drug smuggling and other criminal enterprises as coastal areas suffer from the fallout.

The Coast Guard has increased its Pacific footprint significantly, replacing old vessels and expanding operations. In 2021 the Coast Guard held a historic triple commissioning ceremony when it brought three new fast-response cutters the Myrtle Hazard, Oliver Henry and Frederick Hatch to Santa Rita, Guam.

Then-Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz, now retired, flew from Washington, D.C., to Guam to preside over the occasion, telling attendees, These FRCs are so capable that we bring expeditionary capability to the region that we havent had before.

The FRCs are relatively small and nimble vessels that aim to replace the Coast Guards previous Island Class patrol boats. Fast and maneuverable, theyre able to visit small Pacific island ports that larger vessels wouldnt fit into.

Capt. Jennifer Conklin, a Hawaii-based officer in charge of the Coast Guards Operation Blue Pacific which Lane is in the region to support said that the FRCs were kind of a game changer, they were just much more capable than our old patrol boats we were really able to maximize that capability.

But the small vessels are also limited in both how far and how long they can operate. While they can island hop, they struggle with sustained operations on the high seas, and a high operation tempo has strained the vessels. Some are in need of serious maintenance soon.

What the Harriet Lane brings is that sustained presence that we really want, said Conklin.

After the Cold War, the U.S. significantly scaled down both its diplomatic and military presence in Oceania to focus on interests elsewhere. But the Coast Guard has remained important, rescuing mariners in distress and doing patrols.

Many Pacific island nations lack navies or coast guards of their own to defend their waters and conduct search-and-rescue missions, and look to countries like the U.S. to help. Fiji, one of the few that does, has only six navy vessels to patrol its vast maritime territory and regularly looks to the U.S. for help.

Lt. Channing Meyer, who worked under Conklin on Operation Blue Pacific and is assigned to the Lane for the deployment, said, Weve always had a presence here as much as we can because the Coast Guard as an agency more closely resembles the needs for Oceania countries than lets say the Navy, Army, Air Force. Were worried about search and rescue, were worried about marine and environmental response like oil spills, and mass rescue operations.

Lanes first Pacific deployment will ultimately see it traverse Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia, with port calls along the way, before it finally returns to Hawaii in April. It is expected to return to sea again this summer.

If I were a lieutenant, this would be my first choice for an assignment, Conklin said.

A stop gap

While the Lane is the latest Coast Guard cutter assigned to the Pacific, its also the services oldest in the region. The aging 270s werent meant for Pacific operations, and several crew members said that while the upgrades in Baltimore have made it possible for the Lane to make the voyage, the Pacifics vast distances push the platform to its limits.

One crew member said, So much was done on it and you still worry something is going to (expletive) explode.

But other crew members say they feel a deep connection to the ship. One crew member that works in the engineering section said, Ive put a lot of work into her, so I kind of have to.

The Coast Guard also has two Legend-class National Security Cutters based in Hawaii. Theyre among the services largest and most advanced cutters, equipped with drones and advanced sensors. They have been deploying in the Western Pacific and up near Alaska, where they have operated in disputed waters standing off with Russian and Chinese forces and supporting the U.S. Navy.

But Tesoniero said that the smaller Lane is better suited for the relationship-building effort the Coast Guard seeks in Oceania and argued that in the region, in a lot of senses, I think there there probably is something that comes with seeing a ship thats a little bit more weathered and looks the part of being 40 years old instead of something with sleek outlines.

Still, she said that ultimately the Lane is a stop gap until the service can send a newer, better medium-size ship to the Pacific.

Its great that a 40-year-old ship can do it, (but) I think thats 100% on the backs of the crew, because of their desire to keep the ship in the condition that it is, Tesoniero said.

The Coasties that operate the cutters are also facing challenges as demand grows in the Pacific. While Coast Guard brass said in early 2023 said they hoped to triple Pacific deployments in coming years, by December 2023 top commanders announced that low recruitment and retention meant they would have to close several stations and take several cutters off line due to a lack of personnel. That puts more work on those that remain.

The officers and crew work hard to keep up morale on the Lane. Tesoniero hosts regular trivia nights and other crew members host varied activities from karaoke and bingo to Dungeons & Dragons. They also have occasional ice cream socials, though one crew member commented after the Apia port call was cancelled that if you havent noticed yet, whenever something bad happens, we get ice cream.

As China makes inroads in the Pacific, U.S. officials have been trying to hastily reinvest in the region. Officials said they hope to see the Lane host a range of experts on board as it travels the region, to include civilians from other agencies to meet requests from Pacific island countries.

I think thats where we have the advantages, you know, a willingness to dialogue and gain perspective on what the ask is, and then try and bring that to the table the best we can, said Tesoniero. From an organizational standpoint, we need to just throw everything we have into saying Harriet Lane is unique to this region, shes going to fill out this mission, (and) were going to equip it with the right people and the resources to make that happen.

We have to find what our niche down here is, and I do think its being able to work with these small countries that American society as a whole may be a little bit more ignorant towards, and just share that, look, its not just a big blue space on the map, Tesoniero said.

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Hawaii-based 'Indo-Pacific Support Cutter' focused on Oceania is on its first Pacific deployment - Honolulu Star-Advertiser

FIFA have introduced a set of friendly matches between confederations, with Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu taking part in the first edition. The international body confirm to FiO it will cover the travel and accommodation costs.

The newly announced FIFA Series will see teams from each of the six confederations take part, with the two OFC representatives playing against three teams theyve never met before.

In Sri Lanka, PNG will face the hosts as well as Asias Bhutan and Africas Central African Republic when the friendlies kick off in the international window in March.

Vanuatu will travel to Saudi Arabia to play Brunei from Asia, Bermuda from the Caribbean and African nation Guinea, who just reached the quarter finals of the African Cup of Nations in January.

The first edition of the FIFA Series will take place from 18 to 26 March, with future instalments planned to take place during every March international match window of even years.

FIFA believes that the FIFA Series are a great opportunity to enable member associations which do not have regular opportunities to play against teams from other confederations to do so. Consequently, the main objective of the FIFA Series is to contribute to the development of football on the pitch within those member associations, FIFA tells Football in Oceania.

Travelling to these friendlies can be expensive for the smaller nations, but FIFA assure they will cover the cost of transportation and hotel for teams.

Each nation will get travel and accommodation covered for a delegation of 35, including both players and staff. Should a team wish to bring more than 35 people along, FIFA will not cover the additional costs.

The main benefit of the FIFA Series is on the pitch as these matches provide teams which normally dont have the opportunity to play intercontinental friendlies to do so. FIFA will provide a contribution to the participating Member Associations, which represents an additional benefit, FIFA says.

Asked how the nations that are participating were selected, FIFA responded:

The FIFA Series was announced by the FIFA Council in December 2022 and immediately drew significant attention from FIFA Member Associations. This project was naturally appealing to those MAs who were available and had no prior friendly or qualification commitments for March 2024 international window and these discussions through our MA division led to the line-up which was announced Monday.

These are the FIFA Series hosts and participants:

Algeria (CAF) Andorra (UEFA) Bolivia (CONMEBOL) South Africa (CAF)

Azerbaijan (UEFA) Bulgaria (UEFA) Mongolia (AFC) Tanzania (CAF)

Cabo Verde (CAF) Cambodia (AFC) Equatorial Guinea (CAF) Guyana (Concacaf)

Bermuda (Concacaf) Brunei Darussalam (AFC) Guinea (CAF) Vanuatu (OFC)

Bhutan (AFC) Central African Republic (CAF) Papua New Guinea (OFC) Sri Lanka (AFC)

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PNG and Vanuatu to participate in inaugural FIFA Series - Football in Oceania

Port Moresby (Agenzia Fides) - After the serious massacre in which a total of 64 people fell victim in the last few days in the province of Enga, near the town of Wabag, 600 kilometers northwest of the capital Port Moresby, there is now fear of an escalation of the tribal conflict in Papua New Guinea. The incident occurred on February 18 in the remote village of Akom and is, according to authorities, the largest massacre in recent months. The incident is part of clashes between rival tribes (the Sikin and Kaekin tribes) in the gold-rich Enga province, an area where land disputes are becoming increasingly heated and where clashes are becoming increasingly deadly due to the significantly increased availability of firearms. The country's Prime Minister James Marape is considering declaring a state of emergency to end ongoing fighting and hostilities. Marape said he intended to introduce a law to "strengthen the jurisdiction of security forces to intervene in acts of domestic terrorism." Meanwhile, security forces have already launched "targeted operations" in Enga to restore order, while police officers have the right to "use the necessary level of force to prevent further violence and reprisals." The UN human rights office, meanwhile, called on the government to "take immediate action to address the causes of the violence and work towards mutual recognition among highland communities." The office is calling for "the surrender of all weapons, especially firearms" to counter the escalation of violence. Although tribal fighting has historically been common in remote areas of Papua New Guinea, violence in Enga has increased over the past year. According to observers, a kind of "guerrilla war" has broken out, largely due to the illegal influx of weapons, and there is a risk of contagion in neighboring groups and areas, also due to the presence of mercenaries hired (and paid) from outside to support the parties to the conflict. The government has tried to contain the violence through repression and mediation, but so far has had little success. The army had deployed around 100 soldiers in the region, but the effect of this measure was limited. Italian missionary Fr. Giorgio Licini, secretary of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, explains: "Clashes between ancestral indigenous groups - some of which had their first contact with the outside world only 70 years ago - can have various reasons, but above all, they depend on control of the territory, which is very strong in their traditional culture. These tensions are then maintained by members of this group who have emigrated to the city, settled there, and can send weapons or pay mercenaries. These are remote inland, rural or forest areas with high illiteracy rates, characterized by cultural and social backwardness and where, for example, witchcraft practices and even the hunting of women considered witches are in force", the missionary of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME) continued. "In such situations - argues the missionary - little can be done from outside; the only effective path is that of dialogue on site, betweenvillage leaders, involving respected personalities, religious leaders, including Christians, and civil leaders: that is the only way we try to create a network of dialogue between indigenous groups and prevent violence". "In the past, the situation between these groups was more stable because there was less mobility and therefore less potential for conflict, affirms Father Licini. Today, with mobility and globalization, everything is more chaotic, we are in a phase of transition between the ancient culture and a new identity, which however is not yet firmly and clearly defined. The PIME missionary illustrates the three levels of life and social organization in Papua New Guinea: "The first is the tribal society, an ancestral reality; the second is the presence of churches of various denominations, which have an extensive network of schools and social institutions; the third is that of the modern state, which is particularly noticeable in the cities". The nation is in a period of transition where these three levels meet, and in this process of difficult cultural, social and economic upheaval, violence occurs. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 26/2/2024)

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OCEANIA/PAPUA NEW GUINEA - Escalation is feared after tribal conflict: The only way to avoid it is on-site dialogue - Agenzia Fides

Photo Credit: Aitor Alcalde FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

Brazil have overcome Italy in an incredible back-and-forth FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup final in Dubai to win their 6th title.

Italy playing in their first ever FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup final had it all to do, facing the most successful nation in the competitions history. Brazil had looked impressive in overcoming Japan and Iran in the knockout stages to reach the final, whilst Italy had won a thriller against Belarus in their semi-final on penalties, having eliminated OFC representative Tahiti at the quarter-final stage.

Despite their underdog status, it was Emiliano Del Ducas side who took the lead. Gianmarco Genovalis volley giving Italy a crucial lead before the game settled into a end-to-end pattern as Brazil started to kick into gear.

The difference maker proved to be Brazils superstar Rodrigo. Playing in his fifth World Cup, the veteran forward has well over 100 appearances for his country and sealed his second FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup with an outstanding hat-trick, proving too much for Italy to handle. Their cause wasnt helped by a second period red card to Leandro Casapieri.

A late strike from Genovali gave Italy a sliver of hope as they chased the game but Marco Octavios side showed their class, seeing out the final minutes to confirm the trophy would be heading back to Brazil.

Brazil: 6 (RODRIGO 0023/1P, 0553/2P, 0733/3P, Bruno XAVIER 0334/2P, OWN GOAL 0120/2P, BRENDO 0933/3P) Italy: 4 (Gianmarco GENOVALI 0814/1P, 0322/3P, Tommaso FAZZINI 0549/2P, Tommaso FAZZINI 0927/3)

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Brazil claim record-extending 6th FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup - Oceania Football Confederation

Aiden Gimed successfully lifts a snatch in the 81kg youth category of the 2024 Oceania Weightlifting Championships in Auckland, New Zealand.

AIDEN Gimed will return home with a silver medal in the 81kg youth category of the 2024 Oceania Weightlifting Championships, which was held in Auckland, New Zealand on Feb 17-25.

Gimed said he is very happy with his overall performance as he recorded a snatch of 95kg, clean & jerk of 115kg, and total weight of 210kg.

My overall experience was very good, he said. I got to meet my goals while making new friends and learning new things. The young weightlifter recorded a new personal best in snatch, clean & jerk, and total weight.

Everything was perfect, he added. I made 6/6 of my lifts having Coach Angel [San Nicolas], Coach John Davis, and Leowell [Cristobal] helping me. It just worked out well for me, warming up and doing my lifts on the platform. It definitely helped having competition experience because I had an idea on what to expect.

Asked whats next for him, Gimed said, To get stronger and be prepared for my next competition and to give it my 110%.

He added, Ive no competitions lined up yet. Ill see what my coach and the CNMI Weightlifting Federation have planned for me.

Gimed also wants to thank the CNMI Weightlifting Federation for allowing me to represent the CNMI. Thank you, too, to Getfit CNMI for being my home to train and getting me started in this journey. And thank you to my family, friends, teachers and classmates for supporting me.

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NMI's Aiden Gimed wins silver in Oceania Weightlifting Championships - Marianas Variety News & Views

Fiji U20s secures 39-25 win over Tonga at round 1 of Oceania Rugby U20s Challenge

The Vodafone Fiji Under 20 rugby side had a solid start to their Oceania Rugby U20s Challenge campaign after beating the Junior Ikale Tahis 39-25 yesterday.

Fiji dominated with their lethal speed and flamboyance as they came out with a solid attacking effort in the first half of the game scoring three tries to flanker Ebenezer Navula, Number 8 Rupeni Nakiyoyo and Hooker Joshua Uluibau and two penalty kicks.

Tonga only managed one penalty in the first spell as the game went into the break with Fiji holding a comfortable 29-3 lead.

The Ikale Tahi made a fierce comeback in the second half with three consecutive tries in the first 10 minutes as the score suddenly was 29-22.

Fiji only managed to score 10 points in the second half through a converted try and a penalty kick which was enough to hold off a spirited Tongan side.

Captain Nalani May says they tried to keep their opponent guessing, kept them on their heels, and played the Fijian style of rugby.

May says they definitely got caught off guard in the second half, but they just regrouped on the field and stayed together.

In other matches yesterday, Moana Pasifika U20s beat Manu Samoa U20s 27-20.

Fiji will take on Moana Pasifika in round 2 this Saturday at 2pm.

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Fiji U20s secures 39-25 win over Tonga at round 1 of Oceania Rugby U20s Challenge - Fijivillage

Vakuruivalu wins bronze in the senior men's 109kg category at the Oceania Weightlifting Championship

24-year-old Timothy Vakuruivalu has made his mark in the senior men's 109kg category after winning a bronze medal at the Oceania Weightlifting Championships that was held on the 24th of February, 2024, in Auckland, New Zealand.

With a weightlifting journey spanning nine years, Vakuruivalu showcased his prowess by snatching 120kg and clean and jerking 140kg, securing a well-deserved bronze in the senior category.

In a heartfelt dedication, Vakuruivalu expressed his gratitude and love for his family in New Zealand and abroad and also extended his appreciation to the Papatoetoe Weightlifting Club, where he has been based and training for the past few years.

The club's support and camaraderie played a significant role in his success.

Vakuruivalu also wishes to convey his thanks to Weightlifting Fiji for entrusting him with the responsibility of representing his country on the international stage.

His acknowledgment of their confidence in his abilities reflects the strong bond between the athlete and the national weightlifting body.

Weightlifting Fiji celebrates Timothy Vakuruivalu's bronze medal victory and commends him for his dedication, skill, and sportsmanship.

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Vakuruivalu wins bronze in the senior men's 109kg category at the Oceania Weightlifting Championship - Fijivillage