IN a situation where Eileen Cikamatana continues to blossom in weightlifting and Weightlifting Fiji wilted since the internal saga that split this once champion Fijian body, The Fiji Times takes another look at how an Olympic Games gold medal prospect was handed on a silver platter to Australia.
From almost the first moment since news of the internal differences within WF broke out last year, it was apparent that there would be no resolve on the impasse.
The success pace, the following, the power run WF enjoyed and the depth of elite weight-lifters Fiji took pride on for many years came crashing down.
The years of investment, nurturing and development of athletes, sacrifice and commitment all came to naught.
The bad vibe hit the ceiling fan, broke into pieces, and scattered all over the place when it fell.
It was like a light bulb falling – crashed with a loud bang into small pieces and cannot be put together ever again.
It happened when Fijians, home and abroad, were celebrating WF and Cikamatana’s historic feat at the 2018 Commonwealth Games at the Gold Coast, Australia.
Cikamatana, 19, at Gold Coast, last year was Fiji’s first female Commonwealth Games gold medallist after winning the women’s 90kg division with a total lift of 233kg.
She weighed 90kg and scored 103kg on the snatch and a Commonwealth Games record on 130kg on clean jerk for a 233kg total (CGR).
Fiji’s other gold medallists in Commonwealth Games history were Mataika Tuicakau (shotput 1950), Sani Fine (boxing 1982) and Nacanieli Qerewaqa Takayawa (judo – 2002). WF, in a reply titled ‘Tell the Truth Paul’ last November, wrote “Eileen’s best lift ever in IWF-sanctioned competition was 253kg in Ashgabat in September 2017.”
Record shows that on September 24, 2017, she set two Commonwealth records at Ashgabat on 111kg and 253kg.
Two months later during the Port Villa, Vanuatu Pacific Mini Games, she set a gold medal winning Commonwealth record of 143kg. Cikamatana turns 20 next month. She is young and her target was the 2020 Olympics.
At the rate she’s winning, Cikamatana can still compete in three Olympics.
A fortnight ago during the 2019 Australian Junior & U23 Championships in Sydney, she smashed 46 records.
They were unofficial because she has not been granted Australian citizenship. The Taviya, Ovalau lass, who is now an Australian resident, broke seven snatch records with her 114kg lift in the 87kg category. She lifted 155kg in the clean and jerk to set more records including two junior world records.
She also equalled the junior world record with her total lift of 269kg. These were all done in a day. The people of Taviya in Ovalau are always nicknamed the ‘Taika’ (tigers). Last week Cikamatana competed in the New South Wales Senior Championships.
In a reply to The Fiji Times, Australian Weightlifting Federation president Sam Coffa wrote: “Eileen participated in the NSW Championships on the weekend but did not extend herself as she had just competed a week earlier, nevertheless, she lifted 114kg in the snatch and 140kg in the clean & jerk for a total of 254kg which is still a top performance.”
With records falling at her feet, and Australia smiling to the bank knowing a gold mine had been secured, there are questions that need answering on who is responsible for allowing Eileen Cikamatana, one of Fiji’s best medal hopes at the Japan Olympics next year, to go to Australia.
Is it Fiji’s style to groom champions and give them to other nations?
WF president Atma Maharaj said the situation could have been solved if everyone came to a common agreement.
“We have regrets about the current situation and question whether we could have done more from our end.
“At the same time, it is difficult to find an amicable solution when one party refuses to sit down and discuss their concerns in good faith and particularly when theyare not the ones controlling the bigger agenda,” he said.
“At the time, yes, we believed we had done everything within our power to reach an amicable and fair solution.”
