Editorial comment – Weightlifting dilemma

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Eileen Cikamatana of Fiji shows her emotions after winning the gold medal for the Women’s 90+90kg Final during Weightlifting on day fi ve of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. Picture: GOLD COAST 2018 COMMONWEALTH GAMES/FILE

THE revelation that Fiji may have lost a gold medal prospect for the next Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games is interesting.
We are told that our Commonwealth Games 2018 weight-lifting gold medallist Eileen Cikamatana has been given permanent residency status in Australia.

This comes in the wake of her suspension by Weightlifting Fiji last June because of internal differences.

She said, just a few days ago, she received her Australian permanent residency.

In due course, she said, “once I get an Australian passport, I will be able to compete again internationally”.

Whether she becomes eligible to represent Australia is another question.

What will undoubtedly concern sports fans though is the fact that we have a potential gold medallist right in front of us.

We are basically allowing her to slip through our fingers so to speak.

Cikamatana won Fiji’s only gold medal at the Gold Coast after lifting 233kg in the women’s 90kg division.

She lifted 103kg in the snatch and 130kg in the clean and jerk – both in one attempt with two lifts to spare.

She holds three Commonwealth records in her weight class, and is an Olympian.

The young lifter hit the headlines last year in the wake of the arrival of Fiji’s new Iranian coach Hossein Tavakoli.

On September 18, Cikamatana, who was suspended with members of the Levuka Weightlifting Club for internal differences with Weightlifting Fiji executives, will turn 20.

Fiji celebrated when Cikamatana won our only gold medal at the Gold Coast.

Cikamatana has been training in Noumea after she was suspended by WF.

Such prospects do not come around often, especially at the highest level of the sport FASANOC president Joe Rodan Sr wished Cikamatana well.

“If she has got her PR for Australia, then good luck to her. We cannot do much. That is her choice and her will and we wish her the best and if she qualifies to represent Australia then good for her,” he said.

“As far as FASANOC, we respect the national federation which is Weightlifting Fiji which has the sole ownership of weightlifting in Fiji as recognised by the world weightlifting body.”

Levuka Weightlifters Association general secretary, Peni Tawai said it was a sad day for Fiji that we have lost a gold medal prospect.

This should be a lesson to all of us, he insisted.

What has happened is unfortunate.

It is particularly sad to see a credible prospect slipping through our fingers.

This has to be raised, whether we like it or not.

Then there is the bit about processes, systems, and what is right from wrong.

Obviously, there will be the issue of precedence and setting an example.

It looks like we have been caught between a rock and hard place.

Emotions aside, we can only hope every effort was made to reach an amicable solution over the months of disagreement.

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