Albert Millr Jnr is the latest recipient of the Oceania Australia Foundation Scholarship program offered by ONOC last year to prospective student athletes to train and study in the United States. He will be departing Fiji this evening for 2 years and will be attending Southwestern Community College in the state of Iowa.
The Oceania Australia Foundation Scholarship program was established to provide new and expanded opportunities for the people of Oceania by ONOC. The program provides two years of academic sports scholarships to selected junior colleges in the United States. At the conclusion of this two year scholarship, the recipient may have the opportunity to move to an NCAA college or return to their home country.
Albert is following in the footsteps of his talented father but in a contrasting fashion. Unlike his multi skilled and highly decorated dad, Albert has a thing for the sprints, undoubtedly a trait that he’s adopted from his mother Litiana Miller or as most people would recognize her as Litiana Waqanitoga the former sprint queen of Fiji from the late 90’s to the early 2000’s. Albert has a personal best of 10.9s (HT) in the 100m and is well known for his quick reaction to the gun and explosive start and because of this; he has been the most likely option for lead off leg in 4x100m relay races.
Athletes who have gone through the program and managed to further their education at the conclusion of their scholarship include Ana Kaloucava, Sisilia Seavula and Younis Bese. Other notable athletes who have also gone through the program include Inia Sili, Miriama Senokonoko, Alisha Dickinson, Roy Ravana, Ratutira Narara and Aaron Powell.
Story by Eugene Vollmer