BY RICHARD MENANOPO
The Solomon Islands National Institute of Sport (SINIS) has strengthened its high-performance training environment following the successful completion of a four-week placement by five Exercise and Sports Science students from Australia’s Macquarie University.
According to information shared by the National Sports Council (NSC), the placement was delivered under the Australian Government’s New Colombo Plan and gave the visiting students an opportunity to work directly with SINIS strength and conditioning coaches while supporting local athletes.
Throughout the month-long attachment, the students gained practical experience in high-performance sport, contributing to daily training programs and learning alongside Solomon Islands coaching staff.
Beyond the training environment, the group also participated in a range of community activities, including school visits, the recent Solomon Games and other outreach programmes organised by the SINIS team.
During a farewell gathering, SINIS Performance Manager Zanetana Djokovic acknowledged the students’ efforts and thanked both the Australian Government and Macquarie University for their continued support.
“The students made a valuable contribution during their placement,” the NSC statement said.
Djokovic also recognised the partnership for helping strengthen knowledge exchange while contributing to the continued development of high-performance sport in Solomon Islands.
The five students were Jean Stump, Josh Coulton, Rory McFarlane, Jacqueline Hamilton and Simone Dyer.
The four-week placement is part of ongoing collaboration between SINIS and Australian institutions aimed at developing coaching capacity, improving sports science support and creating learning opportunities that benefit both visiting students and Solomon Islands athletes as the country’s high-performance sports programme continues to grow.
Photo: NSC Media
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