The annual Easter Athletics championship will not be held this year, in light of the restrictions put in place by Government in relation to the coronavirus pandemic, says Athletics Fiji president, Vuli Waqa.

He said the championship is being cancelled for the first time since it started in Levuka in the 1950s as the safety and wellbeing of athletes and officials remain paramount at this time.

Waqa highlighted yesterday that the coronavirus pandemic faced globally has affected their preparations for future tournaments.

“The Easter Championship was supposed to be the first trials to select our athletics team for the Oceania Melanesian Championship which was supposed to be held in Lautoka in June of this year, but this has been cancelled due to coronavirus.”

However, most of the athletes are asked to do their individual training at the moment in preparations for the qualifying event of the Olympic Games.

“Athletes will need to re-adjust their training programmes and also the postponement till next year will open-up the opportunity for other athletes to try and qualify.

“World Athletics and the International Olympic Committee will also be relooking at the qualification criteria and adjustments will be made.”

He said three of their overseas based- athletes are back in Fiji, continuing their individual training as sports recreational centres and stadium are being closed.

“Fane Sauvakacolo, Elenani Tinai and Mustafa Fall are back in the country while Heleina Young is still based at the Oceania High Performance Training Centre in the Gold Coast, Australia where she is continuing her training with her Australian coach,” Waqa added.

Edited by Leone Cabenatabua

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