Category Archives: Oceania

The CNMIs Carol Lee towed Pacific Oceania to the finals of the 2017 Junior Fed Cup Asia Oceania Pre-Qualifying Zone after another dominating performance in the Singles 1 event yesterday at the R.K Khanna Tennis Stadium in New Delhi, India

Lee clobbered Singapores Joelle Goh, 6-0, 6-0, dispatching her foe in just 45 minutes to seal the semis victory for Pacific Oceania. Earlier in the Singles 2 match, Tahitis Naia Guitton rallied past Tammy Tan, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.

With Pacific Oceanias sweep of the two singles contests, the lone doubles match became no-bearing. Lee was scheduled to partner with Samoas Eleanor Schuster in the doubles, but results of their match against Tan and Tessa Wong have yet to be posted at the events website as of press time.

Today, Lee and company will play in the finals against the winner of the other semis game between Pool B top finisher Sri Lanka and Pool A runner-up Vietnam. Thuy Thanh Truc Tran gave Vietnam a 1-0 lead in the semis after working out a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 triumph over Savini Jayasuriya in the Singles 2. In the other singles match, Ngoc Minh Phuong Nguyen was slated to duel Anila Seneviratne and the former and Tran were also assigned to compete in the doubles against Senevirante and Sathi Siyara Silva Mirisssage yesterday.

Regardless of the results of Lee and her teammates games in the championship play, Pacific Oceania is already assured of a slot to the 2017 Junior Fed Cup Asia Oceania Final Qualifying Zone, which will also be played in India in April. Pacific Oceania and the winner of the Vietnam-Sri Lanka tussle will join New Zealand, Australia, and 12 other countries from Asia in the final qualifier.

Going into the finals, Lee has yet to drop a single set with four of her five wins recorded in less than an hour. The singles triumph against Goh was her second shutout victory, as she earlier blanked the Philippines Gennifer Lysandra Pagente in pool play. Pacific Oceania swept the pool play, crushing the Philippines, Tajikistan, and Vietnam to move into the semifinals.

Meanwhile, the CNMIs Robbie Schorr earned his first victory in the Junior Davis Cup.

Schorr whipped Tajikistans Khushbakht Karimov, 6-0, 6-0. The Commonwealth junior player wrapped up the one-sided match after only 30 minutes to secure the victory for Pacific Oceania in the consolation round that would determine the No. 9 to 14 finishers in the pre-qualifier. In the earlier singles game, Vanuatus Clement Mainguy topped Issamjon Sharifov, 6-0, 6-4. The doubles game in the Pacific Oceania-Tajikistan match was not played.

With the victory, Schorr and company advanced against Sri Lanka.

Excerpt from:

Carol tows Pacific Oceania to finals - Saipan Tribune

Macquarie Capital is lining up fund managers for another potential aged care listing.

As Street Talk first reported on Thursday, the broker is booking fundies to meet New Zealand's Oceania Healthcare for a non-deal roadshow starting next Friday.

Oceania is owned by Macquarie's infrastructure arm MIRA and is exploring options for an initial public offering including a listing on the ASX.

It's expected to tell fund managers that the company's earnings were worth $NZ47 million in the 2016 financial year, which was up from $NZ29 million a year earlier.

Oceania is expected to be pitched as a growing aged care sector play, with the company requiring capital to fund its brownfield development pipeline of about 1000 units.

Management is expected to front Kiwi fundies late next week, before travelling to Australia.

Oceania is one of New Zealand's largest owners and operators of retirement villages, with 49 locations and 25 villages.

Fund managers are expected to compare it to the already listed Summerset Group Holdings, which has a $1.04 billion market capitalisation and investors including Cooper Investors and Harbour Asset Management.

There are a few differences between Kiwi operators and Australian aged care companies. The key one is that New Zealand's do not have liabilities associated with accommodation bonds, as is common practice in Australia.

The investor meetings come as Oceania's owner MIRA assess floating the company. A decision whether to push ahead with a deal is expected in the coming months.

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Macquarie books fundies for Oceania Healthcare non deal roadshow - The Australian Financial Review

The Pacific Oceania Junior Fed Cup team are into today's final of the Asia/Oceania Junior Fed Cup Pre-Qualifying event in India.

The team of Carol Lee from the CNMI, Tahiti's Naia Guitton and Eleanor Schuster from Samoa won their pool without dropping a set.

Yesterday they swept Singapore 3-0 to advance to the tournament decider against Sri Lanka.

Naia Guitton came from a set down to defeat Tammy Tan 4-6 6-2 6-2 Carol Lee cruised to a 6-0 6-0 drubbing of Joelle Goh before teaming up with Schuster to win the doubles tie 6-2 6-2.

Pacific Oceania are competing at a Junior Fed Cup pre-qualifying tournament in India. Photo: Oceania Tennis

Meanwhile the Pacific Oceania Junior Davis Cup Team had their first win yesterday, beating Tajikistan 2-0.

Robbert Schorr from CNMI produced a double bagel, beating Khushbakht KARIMOV 6-0 6-0, while Vanuatu's Clement Mainguy prevailed 6-0 6-4 against Issamjon Sharifov.

Pacific Oceania are competing at a Junior Fed Cup pre-qualifying tournament in India. Photo: Oceania Tennis

Excerpt from:

Sport: Pacific Oceania into tennis final - Radio New Zealand

Cruise Critic is currently onboard Oceania's 1,258-passenger Marina, cruising to Central American destinations like Belize, Honduras and Mexico. The ship is one of only two custom-built ships for the upper-premium cruise line (the other four are refurbished vessels from defunct Renaissance Cruises), and we love how the ship feels like its smaller R-class sisters, just with plenty of enhancements. Here's a closer look at what Marina's got right -- and what needs a bit of tweaking.

If Marina were a person, it would be an unabashed foodie. The ship's four specialty restaurants -- steakhouse Polo Grill, Italian Toscana, French Jacques and Asian-fusian Red Ginger -- all feature an overabundance of menu options and no surcharge. The food has been pretty drool-worthy, too, from homemade pesto gnocchi at Toscana and pumpkin soup at Jacques to tender filet mignon at Polo Grill and miso-glazed sea bass at Red Ginger. Restaurant staff help you customize your dining experience to make it perfect, whether it's offering an entire menu of olive oils to accompany your baked-that-day bread or letting you choose from a selection of chopsticks made from a range of materials. Only trouble is it's tricky to get reservations if you didn't prebook online ahead of the cruise.

Oceania's Prestige Tranquility beds and 1,000-thread-count linens practically guarantee that you will never have a sleepless night on Marina. Snuggle into those havens of comfort, and you can't possibly keep your eyes open. They're wonderful after a full day of touring and eating, but can be absolutely dangerous if you lie down for "just a minute" midafternoon. We're no expert on fancy sheets, but a 12-piece queen set with sheets, duvet and pillows will set you back $1,500, so they must be top of the line. We plan to enjoy them as much as possible while we're still onboard.

Some lines pour you a cup of Lipton, hand you a sad petit four and call the event "afternoon tea," but Marina knows how to do things right. Every afternoon at 4 p.m., white-gloved waiters wheel carts of finger sandwiches, cakes and pastries around the panoramic Horizon Lounge, while others proffer boxes of Twinings tea. A classical string quartet plays as you head to a central buffet for proper British scones, jam and clotted cream. It's all very civilized -- and highly delicious.

Calling all vegans, gluten-avoiders and health nuts! Oceania's famed milkshake bar gets a healthy makeover every morning when it offers green juices and smoothies made with cashew milk, as well as "energy bowls" (such as an acai berry bowl or a chia cashew yogurt bowl). It's a popular morning addition, especially for folks on their way to or from the fitness center or jogging track -- and we can attest that the drinks taste quite good, too.

On Marina, the thermal suite is not limited to those who cough up more cash at the Canyon Ranch Spa Club. Men's and women's sauna and steam room areas, as well as two coed spaces with tiled heated loungers, are available to all comers. They're a lovely spot to rest weary limbs after a busy day of touring. The thermal area is lacking a thalassotherapy pool (found on Oceania's other ships), but we didn't miss it.

Although neither free nor quite as fast as at home, Marina's Internet has been quite satisfactory, and not as ridiculously slow as other ships we've sailed. We've checked email, had real-time text conversations and even watched videos on Facebook. We can't decide if its upgraded technology or a lack of Millennials onboard that is leading to the efficient Wi-Fi service onboard.

On first glance, Marina's bathrooms are a wow. They're beautifully marbled, with both a standalone shower and tub with showerhead. Then you actually try to take a shower and discover the flaw. The standalone has a central rainshower head that makes the already low ceiling even lower and means anyone close to or over 6 feet tall has to duck to avoid konking their head in the shower. And the angled shape of the stall means anyone not rail thin is banging elbows or incapable of leaning down to wash their legs. The bathtub is a tad better, but you risk dousing the entire bathroom with water when you use the showerhead, and you have a large step over into the tub. We recommend the spa if you want to shower with a bit more space.

So far, we have not been impressed with the desserts on Marina. The cookies do not entice, dessert "burgers" and "lasagna" at specialty restaurants were more creative than mouth-watering, and main dining room options have been surprisingly easy to skip. The best sweets we've eaten have been at afternoon tea -- and the ice cream. In a way, dessert misses are a good thing, though, because we're eating so much at dinner, we really don't need the extra calories.

We appreciate that no one is chasing you down to take your photo then sell it to you or begging you to sign up for extra-fee pub crawls or buy art at auction. But compared to other high-end lines, you can spend a lot extra on Oceania paying for drinks, gratuities, shore tours and more. The spa is pricier than many cruise ship spas (we're paying $175 plus tip for a 50-minute facial), and the lame 45-minute yoga class we took was not worth $11. Excursions are pricey, as well. And do we really need shopping talks and pamphlets for Diamonds International and Del Sol color-changing T-shirts? Not really. (To avoid the nickel and diming, book your next cruise when Oceania is offering its O-Life Perks promotion and take your pick of perks like free Internet or a complimentary beverage package.)

--By Erica Silverstein, Senior Editor

Visit link:

Live From Oceania Marina: Hits and Misses - Cruise Critic

After 15 years with the company.

Silvia Del Vitto (pictured below) is the new managing director for Whirlpool Corporation and its integrated Oceania business. Del Vitto, who replaces Sanjay Prasad, will relocate to Melbourne from Singapore, and oversee operations that will include a focus on continued growth for the Whirlpool and Ariston brands in the Australian and New Zealand markets, as well as across Oceania.

Del Vitto has been with Whirlpool for 15 years in a wide variety of management roles, most recently as market director of the Far East region for the Ariston and Indesit brands, which included Australia and New Zealand.

Prior to this, she spent many years working in Whirlpools EMEA region based in Europe, as product marketing director and senior brand manager bringing global insight, hands-on experience and management strategy to her new role.

Commenting on her appointment, Del Vitto said, I am very excited to be joining the Oceania team and bringing my global Whirlpool experience to the region at a time of such positive growth in the business.

While the local business has grown significantly, especially in the last 12 months, there is so much more to be done. Our multi-brand portfolio ensures we have many compelling options for our key channel partners, which is backed by our global commitment to drive innovation in the smart kitchen, smart laundry and beyond.

These are iconic, trustworthy brands already well-known to Australian and New Zealand consumers, and I am looking forward to being involved in the next chapter of their growth across this region, she added.

Whirlpool South Asia president Arvind Uppal said, Silvia brings a strong background in product and brand development from Europe. Combined with her recent stint in Asia Pacific in operations she is ideally suited to develop and build the Oceania business where our focus is to build a multi brand/channel strategy with largely European sourced products. I wish her all the very best for the future.

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Whirlpool promotes internal executive to managing director for ... - Appliance Retailer

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

ONBOARD OCEANIA MARINA Reporting from the lovely environs of Oceania Marina is pure pleasure. Whether your clients are seasoned cruisers or first-timers to the cruising world, and whether they gravitate to super luxury or easy comfort, you can confidently assure them that Oceania presents a lifestyle at sea that is so inviting, so gracious at every level, that being a passenger aboard an Oceania vessel feels much like being a valued member of a private, upscale country club where one might say membership reaps rewards.

Oceania cruising is a lifestyle. The cruise line has cleverly branded the lifestyle OLife and, along with it, made the Oceania culinary experience an integral and signature hallmark of that brand.

Simply put, heres what this means for your clients: No matter their level of accommodation from oceanview to Owners Suite they can expect gourmet fare throughout all Oceania ships, plus the privilege of dining in any specialty restaurant without paying a premium dining fee, though reservations are required.

More news: Trafalgar unveils commemorative one-time departure for Canadas 150th

Three days into my Tropical Tempos itinerary aboard the Marina, as an unabashed lover of fine food I am astonished by the superb quality and presentation of meals, and the fact that almost all dishes are prepared la minute, and occasionally, tableside. (More about the Italian, French and pan-Asian restaurants in an upcoming article in Travelweek.)

Having already honed a diverse roster of tours in international ports of call, and having already established the first hands-on cooking school at sea, Oceania has enhanced the touring possibilities by researching and creating culinary discovery experiences that allow passengers to have authentic, intimate experiences with locals of the destination.

For example, when the Marina calls at Roatan this morning, Ill be joining a farm-to-table tour with a local farmer, learning how hydroponic technology has increased produce for the area, helping to gather lettuces and greens, and participating in a cooking program at a local hotel.

So far this Marina cruise has been an all-around delectable experience. I look forward to sharing tasty Oceania details, as well as tidbits of the OLife experience, in my upcoming article for Travelweek.

Continued here:

Oceania Cruises' OLife makes for an all-around delectable experience at sea - Travelweek

JILL CLEAVE

Last updated11:43, February 23 2017

Jill Cleave/FairfaxNZ

Wrestler Sarah Hills and daughter Bianca, 9.

There are no "flying mares"off the top rope or "step-over-toe holds" when a Paeroa mother of three takes to the wrestling mat, never the less, it is still exciting to watch.

Sarah Hills, 29, who has only been wrestling for 12 months, will be representing New Zealand at the Oceania Wrestling Championships in Tahiti in March.

She said the family was looking for a sport for their three daughters and felt the martial arts or boxing were a little frightening as it involved being hit.

"We settled on wrestling, which relies on strength and technique, and it has turned out to be a great confidence booster, especially for girls, without the fear of being hit," she said.

She said she decided to join in the fun to get a little fitter and lose a bit of weight and realised she was quite good at it.

"In February 2016 I entered the Waikato Bay of Plenty Championships and came away with a bronze medal, then I entered the North Island champs and came away with gold which was pretty exciting," she said.

In September 2016 she entered her first big tournament, the New Zealand Championships, and won her weight category Women's Freestyle 63kg.

"Five days after winning there I crippled over in pain and was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery to have my gall bladder removed. Two and a half weeks and two surgerys later I was ordered to take three months off," she said.

The family, Sarah, husband Mathew and daughters Bianca, 9, Calista, 7, and Demelza, 6, moved to Paeroa in December to give their daughter who has autism a better education.

"The New Zealand team was announced shortly after we had moved so with only 12 weeks to train I got right into it and am feeling stronger and more confident than I was in September," she said.

Training is going well and you can follow Hill'sprogress on facebook.com/NZwrestling.

She said between working,studying, training, twice a week in Katikati, and spending quality time with her children it leaves little time for fundraising for the trip.

"Wrestling is not a big sport in New Zealand and we have to pay for everything, including uniforms, ourselves so I have set up a page at Give a Little to try help cover costs," she said.

Once the Oceania competition is over the HIlls hope to start a wrestling class for children in Paeroa where everyone will be welcome.

If you would like to help Sarah out with a donation go to givealittle.co.nz/cause.sarah-wrestling.

-Stuff

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Paeroa wrestler to represent New Zealand at Oceania Wrestling champs - Waikato Times

Athletes from Oceania could compete at the summer Asian Games to be held in Hangzhou in 2022, Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah revealed here today.

Athletes from Australia and New Zealand are currently participating on a "guest" basis at the Asian Winter Games here.

They are not eligible to win medals but did march alongside 29 Asian National Olympic Committee at the Opening Ceremony.

They are also staying at the same hotels and enjoying many of the same facilities as those from their neighbouring continent.

All 18 Oceania NOCs are then set for full participation at the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat in September.

Sheikh Ahmad sees this as a step-by-step process to widen their inclusion but at the same time cited the importance of Oceania's individual sporting identity.

If Oceanian countries so wished, they could consequently compete at the Asian Games.

It could be discussed at the OCA General Assembly in Ashgabat during the Indoor and Martial Games.

Next year's event in Jakarta is considered too soon, however.

"We are willing to put it into our agenda [at this year's OCA General Assembly in Ashgabat] to see future participation," Sheikh Ahmad toldinsidethegames.

"I believe not Jakarta 2018.

"It is too short a timeframe and we have already decided the team, sports and Athletes' Village.

"If we speak we will speak about the 2022 and 2026 Games."

Hangzhou in China was named host of the 2022 edition in 2015 while Aichi and Nagoya in Japan were awarded the 2026 event last year.

Australia became a member of the Asian Football Confederation in 2006, leaving the rest of Oceania in a bid to gain more experience in a higher calibre of competition.

In 2007, the OCA rejected a proposal to allow Australia to participate at Incheon 2014, with Sheikh Ahmad claiming then that, while Australia would add good value to the Asian Games, it would be unfair to the other NOCs in Oceania.

See the original post:

Door open for Oceania athletes to compete at 2022 Asian Games - Insidethegames.biz

5 Feb 2017, 12:15 a.m.

There's icy glaciers waiting to cool you down.

If our sweltering summer has you fantasising about snow-capped mountains and icy glaciers, a look at what's on offer in the way of Alaska cruises this year might have a cooling effect.

Alaska's cruising season runs from late April to September and most mainstream cruise lines as well as some luxury and adventure lines send one or more ships there. The biggest operators are Princess Cruises, which has six ships in Alaska in 2017 and Holland America Line, which has seven. Other lines operating mid-size to large ships there are Carnival Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line.

Luxury lines sending smaller ships to Alaska, although not for the whole season, include Crystal Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, Oceania, Seabourn and Silversea. And if you're after a more off-the-beaten-track experience, check out Lindblad Expeditions and UnCruise Adventures, whose much smaller vessels sail where the big ones can't go. So you'll have plenty of ships to choose from the question is, when is the best time to go?

For a start, the weather varies considerably. The peak months of the season, June to August, are the warmest with long hours of daylight, but they are also the wettest and most crowded it's not unusual for the popular ports along the Inside Passage to have up to six big ships in on the same day. However, summer is the best time for spotting bears.

Fares also vary according to when you go and are generally cheaper in late-April and May and September. For example, a seven-day round-trip Inside Passage cruise from Vancouver on HAL's Nieuw Amsterdam costs $1569 in April, $2109 in June and $1549 in September. The disadvantages of shoulder season cruises are cooler temperatures and in April to May, the possibility of late snowfalls however the Northern Lights are sometimes spotted in September and the autumn colours of the trees and tundra are quite spectacular.

While there is a host of highly attractive cruise-land packages that combine a cruise with rail trips and stays in wilderness lodges in Denali National Park, most Alaska cruise-only itineraries are between seven and 10 days and are one-way or round-trip from Vancouver or Seattle; or one-way between Vancouver or Seattle and Anchorage. These take in the Inside Passage, the magnificent sheltered waterway that's surrounded by steep mountain walls, massive glaciers, dramatic fjords and vast tracts of rainforest. Ships typically call at ports such as Juneau (Alaska's capital), Ketchikan, Haines and Skagway and spend a day cruising in Glacier Bay National Park.

NAME Jeffrey Jack, from St Vincent, living in Belgrade.

POSITION Hotel Manager, Windstar's Wind Spirit.

MY JOB is to make sure Windstar's culture and standards are displayed on every sailing we do. We are all about small-ship cruising, less travelled destinations and laid-back luxury. I am responsible for crew training and I lead the services team, working closely with the captain to provide these services to all our guests by setting the tone and creating a fun working environment in all departments.

A TYPICAL DAY starts about 5.30am with a walk around all areas to check they're ready to receive guests. I meet the chef and dining room manager to make sure all items for the day's menu are in place and whether we need to buy anything locally to add to the menus. The bridge team and I address issues that might affect guests during the day, for example whether we can open the marina platform or not (it depends on wind and sea conditions). Before lunch and dinner I join the chef for tastings and during service I chat with guests and invite those who are interested in star-gazing up to the bridge for an informal Q&A with the officers. And every day I Facetime my children.

FAVOURITE CRUISE MOMENT There are so many! When I first stepped onboard Wind Spirit I thought I'd died and gone to heaven! But meeting my wife on board Wind Surf is the standout.

FAVOURITE CRUISE PORT In French Polynesia, it's Fakarava, an unspoilt island we visit on our Tuamotu itinerary. Its reef system has been classified as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve so the diving is incredible. In Europe, I love Istanbul and Ephesus and hope the geopolitics improve so we can sail there again.

INSIDER TIPS If you love being at sea, take a Transatlantic crossing. There are sunrises and sunsets to die for seeing the green flash at sunset is often a highlight.

Take a photo of your luggage in case it gets lost at an airport much easier than trying to describe it to officials.

Revel in the glamour of the 2017 Cannes Film Festival and Monaco Grand Prix with Latitude 33's new fly/stay/cruise package. The 14-night trip features an all-inclusive cruise on board Silver Spirit from Barcelona to Rome and leaves Australia on May 19. After two nights at Raffles Dubai you fly to Barcelona for a night in the elegant El Palace before boarding Silver Spirit. The ship will be in Cannes for two days during the famous film festival but the highlight is spending the weekend in Monaco for The Grand Prix. Tickets to view the thrilling race are included in the fare. Other ports of call include Ste in France, Ajaccio in Corsica and Portofino and Livorno in Italy. Two nights at the historic Sofitel Rome Villa Borghese in Rome is a suitably grand finale to the trip. See latitude33.travel

Cruise Express' 15-night 'Journey to the Northern Lights' fly/cruise/tour itinerary traces the fjord-studded coastline of Norway north above the Arctic Circle all the way to the Russian border. The cruise tour offers the chance to witness the Aurora Borealis magical swirls of light that illuminate Norway's night sky in winter. The package includes two nights in Oslo with city tours, rail journeys to Voss and Bergen, 'Norway in a Nutshell' Flm Railway and fjord cruise, and a six-night cruise from Bergen to Kirkenes onboard Hurtigruten's 691-passenger ship, MS Kong Harald. At Kirkenes you stay at the SnowHotel, where the rooms are carved from ice, and take a dog sled ride through the forest, before returning to Oslo for a night and flying back to Australia. The tour departs on February 9, 2018; see cruiseexpress.com.au

For the first time, Silversea Cruises is offering Australian travellers complimentary flights to Europe for select voyages in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe, departing from April to November 2017. The new program offers passengers a choice of the following flight options aboard an appropriate Emirates or Silversea partner airline flight added to their cruise: an economy class air round-trip from within Australia; an option to upgrade to business class for $4998 a person; or a credit of $1000 a person if the flight options are not used. All-inclusive cruise fares start from $4275, for Silver Spirit's eight-day cruise from Barcelona to Rome departing on November 3. Additional bonuses also apply when you book by February 28; see silversea.com

Take a Lindblad Expeditions voyage in 2018 at 2017 prices when you book by March 31, 2017. A 10-day Galapagos Islands cruise package includes two nights in Guayaquil, flights to the Galapagos, the seven-night cruise and all guided excursions. Fares start from $8700 for departures on select dates between January 1 and December 31, 2018. Phone Adventure World on 1300 295 049, see adventureworld.com

UTracks, a division of World Expeditions, is celebrating its 10th birthdayby offering 10 classic European trips at their original 2007 brochure price. One for cruise fans is France's Loire Valley Bike & Barge trip, which is on sale for $1490 until March 3. Phone 1300 303 368, see utracks.com

UNIWORLD Save $980 a person when you book the seven-night Enchanting Danube river cruise on SS Maria Theresa by February 28, 2017. Fares start at $3919 and include unlimited beverages on board and hosted excursions. The offer is available on select itineraries between Budapest and Passau from April to November 2017. Phone 1300 780 231, see uniworld.com

The story Ocean cruises: Cool down in Alaska with Crystal Cruises, Oceania Cruises and more first appeared on The Sydney Morning Herald.

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Ocean cruises: Cool down in Alaska with Crystal Cruises, Oceania ... - Forbes Advocate

In a near repeat of last year it was again Dane Bird-Smith (Australia) and South Africas Lebogang Shange from Tuks HPC who took the top honours at the Oceania Race 20km Race Walk Championship in Adelaide this weekend.

The bronze medallist at last years Olympic Games in Rio, Bird-Smith, won in a time of 1:19:37 with Shange second in 1:21:00 and Quentin Rew (New Zealand) third in 1:21:12.

Another local athlete, Wayne Snyman from Tuks HPC, finished sixth in a time of 1:21:26.

Shange had sort of mixed feelings after the weekends race. In light of the fact that he has been diagnosed with an iron deficiency while he was at a training camp he considers his second place finish as not to bad. He was told by the Australian medical team who treated him not to get his hope up for a good result.

The HPC-athlete said it was a matter of pride that led to him pushing himself deep into the red.

There is no way that I could train in Australia for two months and then come back to South Africa empty handed. The fact that I doubted my own physical abilities led to me starting the race quite conservatively. Once I realized that I am actually feeling quite good I started to up my pace which led to me catching and passing the early race leaders, he said after the race.

His disappointment sprouts from the fact that according to the official qualification standards set by the IAAF he would have qualified for the World Championships in London but according to qualification standards set by Athletics South Africa he has not done so. The South African qualification standard is 1:20:30 while the IAAFs standard is 1:24:00. According to the IAAF qualification standards Snyman has also qualified to represent South Africa in London.

Last year Shange set a new South African record when raced to a time of 1:20:06.

It would have been nice to have had the qualification for the World Championships out of the way so that I can just focus on becoming a stronger and faster as I am driven by a hunger to make South Africans proud every time I race. Instead my coach, Chris Britz, and I will now have to identify another race to try and qualify. To meet the ASA standard is going to be quite a challenge as I would have to walk near SA record pace to do so. In most international races a time of 1:20:30 will be good enough for a podium finish, Shange concluded.

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Shange excel at the Oceania Race Walk Championship - Pretoria East Rekord