After a successful campaigm at the Oceania Championships earlier this month in Darwin, Australia, the Assistant Minister for Youth and Sports Aliki Bia has commended Team Fiji’s young athletics squad for exceeding expectations

Bia says many of the athletes were making their first appearance at a regional championship after being selected straight out of the Coca-Cola Games, making their medal-winning performances even more impressive.

“For me, looking at the achievements made by the young team that went to the Oceania Championship straight out of the Coca-Cola Games, they selected a pretty young squad and I would like to thank FASANOC, the Fiji Secondary School Athletics and Fiji Athletics for having faith in these young athletes. I know they are pretty young and most of them, it’s their first outing and going into a regional championship is not easy, and for them to win medals and perform above expectations is commendable.”

He also praised the support of parents, former scholars and sporting bodies whose contributions helped the young athletes compete and succeed on the international stage.