Discipline: Sprints & Relays

Coach: Antonio Raboiliku

Club: Royals

Personal Bests:

• 100m – 11.94s (07/07/2016 – 2016 Melanesian Championships, Suva Fiji)
• 200m – 25.04s (21/04/2017 – 2017 Coca Cola Games, Suva Fiji)
• 400m – 47.47s (23/03/2019 – Queensland Track Classic, Brisbane Australia)

Most people will remember Makereta for her stellar performances at various Coke Games wearing either the purple vest for Jasper or the red, white, and black for the Waimanu Ladies in her latter years. But what many do not know is that prior to representing Jasper Williams as a second year Junior, Naulu first represented Uluivalili Secondary School in the 100m and 200m where she finished 5^th and 2^nd respectively back in 2014.

The Kubulau, Bua native then transferred to Jasper Williams after her 200m performance caught the eye of National Coach and then Jasper Head Coach Antonio Raboiliku.

Despite her success in the 100m and 200m whilst at Uluivalili, Mr. Raboiliku believed that her talents would be best maximized in the 400m and the 4x400m relay. A year later Naulu stormed the Laucala tracks in the yellow and purple colors of Jasper Williams amassing 3 golds in the 200m, 400m and 4x400m relay.

The 400m proved more beneficially to Naulu then it did for Jasper Williams, it provided Her with a much stronger base and platform to run a much stronger 100m. The following year, Naulu made her first ever Regional/International debut representing Fiji at the 2016 Melanesian Championships where she ran an impressive wind legal 11.94s in the heats of the Open Women’s 100m. She went onto the final to win a bronze medal in the final behind PNG’s Toea Wisil and Australia’s Emily Coppins.

That 11.94s has Naulu sitting 5^th fastest 100m All-Time in Fiji.

In the years that followed, Naulu continued to make numerous national teams including the 2017 Oceania Area Championships, 2017 Mini Pacific Games, 2018 Commonwealth Games and the more recent 2019 Pacific Games.

Despite being overshadowed by Heleina Young and PNG’s Toea Wisil at Pacific regional championships, Naulu has proved herself as reliable relay asset having teamed up with Heleina Young and Younis Bese to outclass PNG at the 2017 Mini Pacific Games and the 2019 Pacific Games.

Discipline: Middle Distance, Relays & Sprints

Coach: Nemani Tukunia

Club: Trailblazers

Personal Bests:

• 400m – 47.47s (23/03/2019 – Queensland Track Classic, Brisbane Australia)
• 800m – 1:58.88s (20/07/2019 – 2019 Pacific Games, Apia Samoa)

Kameli Sauduadua Ravuci is probably one of the fastest 400m runners in Fiji to have graced the Laucala tracks since the retirement of former Pacific champion Niko Verekauta. With an impressive 400m personal best of 47.47s, Kameli was an 800m specialist to begin with whilst competing for Tailevu North College before being recruited by Ratu Kadavulevu School in Taveuni where he flourished in both rugby and athletics.

Kameli first ever regional/international debut was at the 2016 Oceani Area Championships, Suva Fiji where he managed to win a silver medal in the Men’s Distance Medley final on a team that consisted of Shane Tuvusa, Banuve Tabakaucoro and Aaron Powell.

Since then, Kameli has topped the Fiji National Rankings in the 400m three years in a row, won numerous regional medals in the 400m and 4x400m relay at the 2017 Mini Pacific Games, 2017 Melanesian Championships and the 2019 Pacific Games.

Historically, Kameli teamed up with Aaron Powell, Samuela Railoa and Petero Veitaqomaki in the Men’s 4x400m relay team that made it to the final of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, Australia where they finished 5^th.

Discipline: Multi Events & Relays

Association: Southwestern Community College

Personal Bests:

• 100m – 12.61s (06/07/2019 – 2019 Oceania Grand Prix, Lautoka)
• 100m Hurdles – 15.72s (16/05/2019 – NJCAA D1 Outdoor Track & Field Championships)
• 200m – 24.91s (20/07/2019 – 2019 Pacific Games, Apia Samoa)
• 400m – 57.45s (09/04/2018 – 2018 Commonwealth Games Gold Coast, Australia)
• 800m – 2:29.90s (22/04/2017 – 2019 Coca Cola Games Suva, Fiji)
• High Jump – 1.44m (20/07/2019 – 2019 Pacific Games Apia, Samoa)
• Long Jump – 5.59m /(16/05/2019 – 2019 NJCAA D1 Outdoor Track & Field Championships)
• Shot Put – 9.44m (20/07/2019 – 2019 Pacific Games, Apia Samoa)
• Javelin – 30.97m (20/07/2019 – 2019 Pacific Games, Apia Samoa)
• Heptathlon – 4550pts (20/07/2019 – 2019 Pacific Games, Apia Samoa)

Ever since the absence of Milika Tuivanua and Soko Salaniqiqi from the sport, Fiji has never had another multi event athlete till the like of Elenani Tinai came along. Known for her 800m, 400m and 4x400m prowess, Elenani made a switch to the multi events soon after joining Southwestern Community College after the coaches there saw her built and potential in the explosive events.

Spending only half a year adapting to her new events, it wasn’t long that she was called up for national duties to represent Fiji at the 2019 Pacific Games as a heptathlete instead of what she was traditionally known for among-st her peers, that is, a 400m and 4x400m specialist.

From the very first event of the 2019 Pacific Games Heptathlon, Tinai dominated all 7 events and walked away with a gold medal after 2 grueling days of heptathlon mania. But she wasn’t done there, Elenani was then seen running the 2nd leg and 4th of the 4x100m relay and 4x400m relay where she won a gold and silver medal respectively.

In such a short time, Elenani has shoved her way to the Top 10 All Time list for Heptathletes in Fiji and sits behind Sainiana Tukana by about 200 points. Coach Albert Miller Snr says that she is on track to break the National Record of 4822 points if she continues and improves on her current form.

Discipline: Middle Distance

Coach: Nemani Tukunia

Club: Trailblazers

Personal Bests:

• 400m – 49.05s (22/03/2018 – 2018 Summer of Athletics Grand Prix, Brisbane Australia)
• 800m – 1:53.39s (24/11/2018 – Athletics Fiji Weekly Competition, Suva Fiji)
• 1500m – 4:07:10s (20/07/2019 – 2019 Pacific Games, Apia Samoa)

Petero Veitaqomaki made a burst into the Athletics scene at the 2017 Coca Cola Games whilst representing Sigatoka Methodist College. Veitaqomaki finished 4th in the final of the Intermediate Boys’ 400m and edged out Xavier College’s Shaneel Narayan for the gold in the final of the Intermediate Boy’s 800m.

It was this come from behind performance that prompted Trailblazers Club Head Coach Nemani Tukunia to pursue Veitaqomaki.

That same year, Veitaqomaki was selected to represent Fiji at the 2017 Oceania Area Championships where he won 2 gold medals competing in the U18 Boys’ 800m and 4x400m. He later on went to represent Fiji at the 2017 Mini Pacific Games in Vanuatu where he unexpectedly won the Men’s 1500m final.

In the years that followed Petero proved to be the nation’s fastest 800m and challenged Cook Island’s Alex Beddoes for the title of the Region’s Fastest 800m runner.

At the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia, Veitaqomaki teamed up with training partner Kameli Sauduadua, 400m rival Samuela Railoa and 100m specialist Aaron Powell in the 4x400m relay where they finished 5th in the final.

Petero’s 800m personal best of 1:53.39s sees him sitting at No. 8 in the Top 10 fastest 800m runners in Fiji All Time.

Discipline: Sprints, Relays & Jumps

Coach: Bola Tafo’ou

Club: Laucala Bay Athletics Club

Personal Bests:

• 100m – 10.20s (07/07/2016 – 2016 Melanesian Championships, Suva Fiji)
• 200m – 20.53s (14/07/2015 – 2015 Pacific Games, Port Moresby PNG)

After failing to qualify for the Rio Olympics in 2016, Banuve switched up his track spikes for rugby cleats where he played for the Silver Water 7’s team, Police 7’s team and later pushing himself into the Fiji 7’s team to the 2017 Mini Pacific Games. Unfortunately due to the negligence of the FRU’s trainers and physiotherapists towards Banuve’s knee injury that he sustained during the Mini Games, he was forced to return to his Athletics Club coaches and trainers who spared no resource in getting his knee back in shape.

Banuve spent the whole of 2018 rehabilitating his knee injury and getting back into running form. In his absence, Athletics Fiji saw the rise of Samu Railoa and Aaron Powell to claim the stakes of Fiji’s fastest males over 100m in 2017 & 2018 both averaging around 10.80s and 10.90s in the 2017-2018 Athletics Fiji regular season. Possibly the slowest era in sprinting history in Fiji. Then in his first race back in September, 2018, Banuve ran an impressive 10.83s and then further dropping it down to 10.60s in his 2nd race of the season. He was back!!

Banuve continued to impress coaches and selectors over the season as he solidified his spot on the team to the 2019 Pacific Games in Apia, Samoa where he slashed the Pacific Game’s record in the 100m final in a time of 10.31s. He completed his sprint double/triple after winning the 200m and anchoring home the 4x100m relay ahead of Samoa’s Olympic hopeful, Jeremy Dodson. Banuve became the first Pacific Islander/Fijian Sprinter to have won the 100m & 200m for 3 Pacific Games in a row AND POSSIBLY the only Fijian Athlete to make a come back after a 2 year absence from the sport and still perform at an exceptional level.