28 Apr 2023

Sports news in brief for April 28

8:05 am on 28 April 2023

Netball - PacificAus series

An under-strength Tonga continued its unbeaten run in the PacificAus Sports netball series in Queensland with a 79-53 win over Samoa.

Fiji made it into the knockout stages with a 65-53 victory over Singapore.

However, Papua New Guinea went down to their fourth defeat, losing 62-40 to Kenya.

Tonga now play Fiji in the semi-finals.

Zambia and top seeds Malawi face off in the other on Friday night.

Weightlifting - Samoa

Samoa is fast becoming the place to train for weightlifters from around the region.

Former weightlifting champion and now trainer Tuaopepe Jerry Wallwork confirmed to RNZ Pacific that lifters from Fiji, Kiribati and Tuvalu have joined Samoan athletes at the weightlifting training centre.

He said they are expecting more lifters to join before the Pacific Games in November.

"We have opened up the doors to lifters from the region who had shown interest to come and train here," he said from Apia.

"It is great for us and for them as well because we can learn from each other and at the same time have the opportunity to have some healthy competition at training."

He said the majority of the lifters are preparing for the Pacific Games in Honiara and the Olympic Games in France next year.

Boxing - Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands boxers and coaches

Photo: SINIS Media

Members of the Solomon Islands boxing team are having educational sessions on anti-doping at the Solomon Islands National Institute of Sports in Honiara.

This is in preparation for the upcoming 2023 Pacific Games which will be in the city in November and December.

SINIS media said that the Anti-Doping Education Awareness is being managed by the Oceania Regional Anti-Doping Organization (ORADO) at the High Performance Centre.

Rugby League - Fiji

Fiji Bati rugby league head coach Wise Kativerata says he is in awe at the abundance of talent in Fiji.

The former Fiji Bati rep, who lives in Australia, has been visiting the country for the past 12 years as a scout, taking players overseas.

"In the time I have been able to visit Fiji as a scout and take players aboard, I would only be able to take one to two players at a time. Now, as head coach of the Fiji Bati, I will be able to help more young Fijian players secure contracts overseas," the former National Rugby League star said.

He and his team have been visiting clubs, schools, and rugby union teams across Fiji over the past few weeks conducting clinics and training.

"We've been to Wainimala in Naitasiri, Nasikawa Vision College, and other rugby clubs and unions so far. And from what I have seen, we have enough players and talent to cater for both the Fiji National Rugby League and the Fiji Rugby Union."

Kativerata said investing in grassroots development of rugby played a huge role in producing players who have gone on to make their name on the global arena.

"If we continue to invest in grassroots development, the future of rugby league in Fiji is very bright."

Football - PNG/Solomon Islands

Two friendly football matches between Papua New Guinea's top side Hekari United and the Solomon Warriors in Honiara have now been cancelled.

Due to issues with travelling, the two games were initially postponed, but the PNG Football Association now says the games can't go ahead at all.

Hekari United management says it had to "go through a nightmare" trying to secure flight bookings for its 23-man contingent to Honiara.

Franchise owner and team manager Vonnie Kapi Natto is now working to secure games in Brisbane before the team goes to Vanuatu for the Oceania Champions League.

Fiji - Coca-Cola Games

Fiji's largest annual sporting event, the Coca-Cola games, began on Thursday morning at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva.

The inter-school track and field competition features over 3000 athletes from more than 150 schools across Fiji.

Last year's title was won by Suva Grammar and Adi Cakobau School.

It serves as a trial for young athletes wanting to join Team Fiji at the Pacific Games in July.