BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
PRESIDENT of Honiara Table Tennis Association Kevin Olea on Monday praised the Solomon Islands Para athletes delegation over their triumphant campaign during the recent Queensland Athletics State Championships held at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre in Brisbane, Australia.
Competing in various disciplines from 9 to 12 March 2023, the local athletes recorded their best-ever finish of 6 gold, 8 silver, and 5 bronze medals.
“As a former long-time coach of para-sports, I want to congratulate them for a very Triumphant Campaign in Australia.
“I am proud of their overwhelming performance at the Championship in Queensland, therefore, I am confident that they will register 10 gold medals at this year’s 2023 Pacific Games in Honiara,” Kevin Olea told RAW SPORTS.
He recalled that since day one and over the last 6 years, he has hoped to see such commitment, hard work, and determination made by these potential para athletes become a reality.
“To recall, I would like to thank all of them for what they have achieved since 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022 & 2023, we are still scooping medals and raising high the flag of our country (Solomon Islands).
“Let’s keep the momentum going and let the spirit of togetherness become our strength to show to the country in the upcoming Pacific Games in Honiara.
“All of you have proved to the whole country that para-sports and the movement is growing,” the President of the Honiara Table Tennis Association said.
Meanwhile, he acknowledges the technical staff of the Solomon Islands National Institute of Sports (SINIS) Complex for their hard work and commitment to preparing the para-athletes for the Queensland Athletics State Championships.
Here are the overall medal results from the recent Queensland Athletics State Championships in Australia cited from the Solomon Islands National Institute of Sports Social online media report.
• For ‘Field events: Ambulant Javelin’, Donald Laeta – Silver medal, Jehmina Otoa – Silver medal, and Cosmol Maelifu – Bronze medal.
• Ambulant Shot put- Donald Laeta Silver Medal and Cosmol Maelifu bronze medal.
• ‘Seated Javelin’, Breeze Pita – Gold medal, Rodney Konai – Gold medal, Moffet Tolomae -Silver medal, and Rose Lidia- silver medal.
• ‘Seated Discuss’, Rose Lidia – Gold medal, Breeze Pita- Gold medal, Moffett Tolomae- Silver Medal, and Rodney Konai– Bronze medal.
• ‘Shot-put’, Donald Laeta- Silver medal, Cosmol Maeliful- Bronze medal.
• ‘Seated Shot Put’ Breeze Pita- Gold Medal, Rodney Konai-Silver medal, Rose Lidia- Gold Medal.
• For men 100m ambulant sprints, Cosmol Maelifu also settled for the ‘Bronze medal’.
• Seven out of the 8 Para athletes who traveled for the Queensland State Championships settled for medals in their respective events of Ambulant & Seated throws Javelin, Discuss, and Shot put, and also 100m sprints.
