RESPONSE from WF on October 2018; Weightlifting Fiji did not initiate or ask Eileen or the athletes to withdraw.
It is obvious that they now realise the enormity and the implications of what they have done.
Now in trying to find a way out, they are trying to blame Weightlifting Fiji, when it was Eileen herself and her fellow athletes who made a conscious decision to not represent Fiji.
WF corrects Eileen’s statement that she was suspended because she refused to train with the appointed new national
head coach from Iran, in Suva.
Eileen was actually allowed to continue to train at the Oceania Weightlifting Institute (OWI) but with coordination by the head coach, Hossein Tavakoli visiting her at the training centre in Noumea.
Eileen was never asked by WF to relocate to Suva and train with the new head coach, before she boycotted Fiji.
WF had not even discussed anything with her or with Paul Coffa (Institute Coach) from the Oceania Weightlifting Institute,
where WF had based her for 18 months.
There was absolutely zero communication in regards to such a request. Our letter of May 17, 2018 to all our stakeholders
regarding the announcement of the appointment of our new national head coach stated that: “WF is an autonomous
body and accordingly, Tavakoli will train all elite WF lifters in Suva with immediate effect under the WF program.
This will exclude Eileen Cikamatana, for the time being.
WF will continue with the current arrangements of Eileen training at the Oceania Weightlifting Institute.
WF will review these arrangements in due course as required and, after discussions with Eileen, her current coach
and Tavakoli, a decision will be made on her future training arrangements.
Over the coming months, Tavakoli will also be required by WF to develop a working relationship with the Oceania Weightlifting Federation (OWF), including the Oceania Weightlifting Institute (OWI) and Paul Coffa to maximise the potential of short-term intensive camps at the OWI.
Her missed opportunity to compete at the World Junior and World Senior Championships and 2020 Tokyo Olympics
has been Eileen’s own doing by refusing to withdraw from her boycotts.
She insists on continuing her boycott and as a result cannot represent Fiji at present.
Instead, what WF received was being told by Eileen and others that WF must not communicate with Eileen on any weightlifting matters.
Due to the boycotts, WF does not have any elite lifters currently participating in the sport.
WF has decided to speed up its development and establish weightlifting centres and clubs at various places around Fiji.
As such, WF has decided that all its athletes must train in Fiji and not overseas.
We all know that no athlete or official is bigger than the sport and everyone must abide by the rules of the sport.
Individual athletes cannot have their own rules; they have to be part of a system.
WF is an autonomous sporting body and is affiliated to FASANOC and the International Weightlifting Federation and is required to meet its requirements under World Anti- doping requirements.
WF will not do anything that will jeopardise Fiji’s international standing in the sport.
