Asenate Manoa takes part in the womens long jump event on Saturday. 09092706
SHE is the tiny Pacific Island of Tuvalu’s history maker.
Asenate Manoa was the first female athlete from the sinking island to participate in the Olympic Games in Beijing last year.
And last week she became the first and only athlete to win Tuvalu a medal – in the women’s triple jump event – during the 2009 Pacific Mini Games.
The PMG debutant won the bronze medal with a leap of 10.29 metres.
Logona Esau won Tuvalu’s first medal in international competition at the 2005 Mini Games in Palau when he won bronze in weightlifting.
Manoa took part in the women’s long jump but failed to spark due to injuries she sustained in earlier events.
The 17-year-old of Tuvalu and Fiji descent ventured into athletics in 2007.
She took part in her first regional event at the South Pacific Games in Samoa in the same year.
Earlier this year, she competed in the Oceania Regional Championship and other international competitions.
“I have been training for more than two years now and have participated in quite a number of regional and international meets,” soft-spoken Manoa said.
“I’m really happy to win a medal for Tuvalu in my first mini games.”
After her first taste of the precious medal, Manoa now aims to win gold medals for her country.
“My only aim now is to win gold and I’m quite confident about that.”
Tuvalu chef de mission and athletics coach Sylia Tevao said Manoa had a great future in athletics.
“She has been breaking her personal best in this PMG,” she said.
Tevao said that there were other potential athletes back on the island who are capable of winning medals for Tuvalu.
“We couldn’t bring them all because we don’t have enough funds. We have only Manoa taking part in athletics and another two in weightlifting.”
“We had three athletes taking part in the Oceania Regional Championships because they were fully funded. We managed to win some medals there.” - Rashneel Kumar: Cook Islands News
Last Modified on 30/09/2009 07:12