Oceania is on its way
Fiji will be hosting of the 2010 Oceania Weightlifting Championships to be held in Suva from May 4- 7 at the Yat Sen School Hall. The Championships will have historic significance as it will be the first Olympic Continental Youth Qualification event for the Inaugural Youth Olympic Games to be held in Singapore this August. Weightlifting Fiji President, Atma Maharaj said the opportunity for Fiji to host this major event given the short span of time due to relocation, has seen some of the top sports administrators convene as part of the organizing committee. "The organising committee - which is being chaired by Dr. Robin Mitchell - also has the top administrators from other sports like Karate, Touch Rugby and Cycling pitching in to ensure the success of the Championships". "We look forward to the support of the government and the public in welcoming the participants, officials and spectators to Fiji and to the city of Suva and showing them what true Fijian hospitality and sportsmanship are like". The sport of Weightlifting in Fiji has grown from strength to strength in recent years with the likes of Manueli Tulo grabbing Gold at the Commonwealth Youth Games in 2009 after becoming a triple Gold Medalist at the Pacific Mini Games of the same year. Also, Fiji weightlifting champion Joe Vueti, last weekend competing at the Oceania Weightlifting Institute in New Caledonia, snatched 134kg for a personal best record. This is the first time that Joe has gone over the 130kg mark. In the clean & jerk, he lifted 176kg again for another personal best. His previous best was 167kg. This lift of 176kg is the highest lift ever achieved by any weightlifters in Fiji in its history. The previous record was 175kg by Rupeni Varea at the Commonwealth Games in Malaysia back in 1998 Joe combined total last week-end was 310kg in the 85kg Category. This total was again Joe's best ever performance and also it is the first time Joe has gone over the 300kg mark. Joe's 310kg Total equals also Rupeni Varea performance at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia. Since that time no-one from Fiji has equaled Rupeni's performance of 310kg total until now. It is the highest ever achieved by any Fijian lifter in the history of the sport in
