Banuve reigns

Sprint King Banuve Tabakaucoro has become the fastest man in the Pacific after winning gold in the men’s 100m finals last night.

Tabakaucoro clocked a time of 10.52 seconds.

This is the fastest time in the 2011 Pacific Games.

He has also created history by becoming the fastest schoolboy in the Coca Cola Games to take the 100 metres title in the Pacific Games in the same year.

The fastest time ever at the games still stands.

It was recorded by Fiji’s Jone Delai where he ran the 100 metres in a time of 10.34 seconds.

New Caledonia’s Paul Zongo came in second with a time of 10.80 seconds while Papua New Guinea’s Ruan Gunasinghe finished third.

Meanwhile, Fiji had to settle for silver and bronze in the women’s 100 metres final as Paulini Korowaqa came second and Sisilia Seavula finished third.

Papua New Guinea’s Wisil Toea won the event.

Fiji won a total of 6 gold medals last night.

Fiji won both gold and silver in the women’s Judo yesterday afternoon.

Mereseini Galu won gold while Elenoa Korowaqa settled for silver in the 78kg and over event.

Josateki Naulu also won gold for Fiji in the men’s 81 kg Judo yesterday.

Robert Elder collected his first gold medal in archery in the recurve individual event.

Fiji bagged gold in the men’s 77kg weightlifting category where Paula Taqua won gold in the clean and jerk and then settled for silver in the snatch.
 
Our men’s Basketball team lost to Guam 57-51 in the semi-finals while the women’s Basketball team also went down to New Caledonia 56-50.

Looking at the medal tally, New Caledonia maintains the lead with 82 gold, 64 silver and 31 bronze while Tahiti is second with 35 gold, 26 silver and 22 bronze.

Fiji is still third with 23 gold, 26 silver and 30 bronze.

The events coming up today include the men’s 200 metres heats at 4.45pm where Banuve Tabakaucoro will again be the favorite.

Other track events include the men’s and women’s 400 metres final, men’s 1,500 final along with the men’s javelin and long jump.

At 3pm, the Fiji men’s soccer team will play Solomon Islands in the semi-final while New Caledonia will take on Tahiti in the second semi-final.

The quarter-finals in Taekwondo also start today at 11.15am where Vileen Shandil and Sameer Ali will compete in the 58 and 68kg event.


Story by: Dhanjay Deo