By EDDIE OSIFELO
The Solomon Islands’ bodybuilding team significantly bolstered the nation’s medal count to 10 after a stellar performance in the XVII Pacific Games at Maranatha Hall last night.
Tome Kelesi, Barnabas Waga – renowned as ‘Mr. Solomons’ – and Allen Atai secured gold medals in their respective weight categories, with Kelesi dominating the 65kg division, Waga claiming victory in the 80kg, and Atai triumphing in the 90kg category.
Though Mustafa Rade, Silas Kiu Alpheus Fiuramo, David Ama, and Corina Dettke settled for silver medals, Rex Billy and Yuchen Gou proudly collected bronze medals.
Kelesi, Waga, and Atai attributed their success to relentless hard work, emphasizing the arduous journey of strict diets and intense training that culminated in their achievements.
They acknowledged the physical and mental challenges encountered during training, highlighting the satisfaction derived from overcoming obstacles to achieve their competition goals.
Corina Dettke acknowledged the intense nature of the competition and voiced a hope for better organization within the Solomon Islands Bodybuilding Federation.
Dettke highlighted the athletes’ extensive dedication, investing months of effort, time, energy, and finances to prepare for the competition.
She stressed the need for improved facilities and a structured approach to relieve athletes’ stress and enhance performance in future events.
Reflecting on the missed opportunities, Dettke emphasized the significance of discipline, a change in mindset, sacrifice, and dedicated training while underscoring the role of coaches in guiding athletes to success.
Despite setbacks caused by the pandemic disrupting her preparation since her win in the Oceania competition some years back, Dettke expressed optimism about future endeavors, aiming for a gold medal at the next Pacific Games in Tahiti in 2027, since there are proper facilities and support.
The competition saw strong performances from Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Tahiti, and Samoa, with PNG securing three gold medals in the eventful night.
Coach Enoch Mani Ilisia expressed elation over the team’s performance, attributing the success to the athletes’ hard work, which culminated in a total of 10 medals.
Coach Andrew Noel lamented missing the ‘Mr. Pacific’ gold medal by a single point to Samoa’s bodybuilding representative but affirmed the team’s commitment to continued training for upcoming championships beyond the Pacific Games.
