Good luck Team Fiji

from w
Off to the Olympics - a small team, but I hope they all have a great time meeting with other athletes there. I'm sorry that the jav thrower Leslie Copeland didn't make the cut, as he is an outstanding young thrower who won the Under 23 National in Australia. I remember one beautiful Suva evening watching athletes train at the Stadium and they certainly work hard to achieve their goals and there are sometimes disappointments also. Having a go is the motto anyway.

Updated Wed Jul 23, 2008 3:05pm AEST
Fiji's president, Ratu Josefa Iloilovatu, has blessed the Beijing Games team of 20 officials, and seven athletes. Fiji Association of Sport and National Olympic Committee president, Vidhya Lakhan will lead the team.

He says, the president reminded them that they will be representing Fiji to the world.

"As the president said, they are representing themselves and it is the name of Fiji which we will uphold at all times, and that was his message to the delegation," Mr Lakhan said.

Fiji's athletes are Paralympian Ranjesh Prakash, judoka Sisilia Naisiga, athletes Makelesi Bulikiobo and Niko Verekauta, shooter Glen Kable, swimmer Carl Probert and weightlifter Joe Vueti.

Fiji's president gave special attention to Paralympian, Ranjesh Prakash, during his blessing of the Olympic team.

The partially blind athlete has qualified in the men's 100m and 200 metres. He'll be led by another member of the Fiji Olympic squad, possibly national sprint champion Verekauta. Mr Lakhan says the president mentioned Prakash's outstanding courage and determination. "He really really felt for this partially blind athlete who is going to take part in the Paralympics, he also wished him well and said that he was pleased to see someone, who despite his disabilities, is going to compete."