Hard work and determination has paid off for Fiji weightlifter Taniela Rainibogi after claiming gold in the men’s 109kg category at the Commonwealth Championships in India.
Speaking to fijivillage Sports, Rainibogi says he faced a lot of challenges before heading to India for the Championship, as he had to gain more weight and overcome some injuries.
He says these challenges did not interfere with his goal, which was to give his best for Fiji in the Commonwealth Championships.
He adds that the competition was also a challenge as he was up against some of the best in weightlifting.
Rainibogi says he is preparing for the World Championships in September as this is an Olympic qualification competition.
He will also be part of Team Fiji for the Pacific Games in Solomon Islands in November this year.
While talking about the Olympic Games, Rainibogi says he needs to gain 20 more kilos to qualify for the Olympics, and this will be challenging because during training, injuries occur, so he has to look after himself and focus on rehabilitation.
Team Fiji collected five medals in the Commonwealth Championships.
The Pacific Games will be held from the 19th of November to the 2nd of December.
