On behalf of the sporting fraternity, the Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (FASANOC) pays tribute to former Fiji and Pacific Athletics Champion and 1998 Fiji Sports Hall of Fame Inductee, Mereoni Vibose, who passed away on Saturday, 27 January, 2018 after a short illness.

The Nadroga native represented Fiji in six South Pacific Games, two Commonwealth Games and two World Athletics Championships. Although she retired from Athletics in 1991, Mereoni Vibose made a comeback in 2016 as a Masters Athlete and represented Fiji at the World Masters Athletics Championship in Perth, Australia, competing in Javelin, Shot Put and the Hammer Throw.

FASANOC was proud to induct this outstanding athlete into the Fiji Sports Hall of Fame in 1998. At the time of her induction, Mereoni Vibose’s Discus record set in 1983 of 47.76 m and Javelin record of 53.18m set in 1987, still stood. Her Discus record remains unbroken to this day, while her Javelin record was superceded through a new javelin design in 2003.

During her illustrious Athletic career, spanning 22 years, Mereoni Vibose dominated the field in the Pacific region in Discus and Javelin winning 3 Gold, 4 Silver and 2 Bronze medals. During an attachment with the Revesby Athletics Club, Milperra, NSW, Australia, Mereoni Vibose not only won several NSW titles in Javelin, Discus and the Hammer Throw, but also won Bronze medals at the Australian Championships in Javelin in 1983 and 1984. Her outstanding achievements included:

South Pacific Games

1969 Papua New Guinea        Discus – Silver, Javelin - Silver

1975 Guam                           Javelin – Gold, Discus - Bronze

1979 Fiji                               Javelin - Gold

1983 Samoa                         Discus – Silver, Javelin - Silver

1987 New Caledonia              Javelin - Gold

1991 Papua New Guinea        Discus - Bronze

Commonwealth Games

1974 New Zealand                  Javelin - 7^th, Discus -11^th

1982 Australia                        Javelin - 8^th, Discus – 9^th

Australian National Championships

1983 -84                                  Javelin - Bronze

World Masters Athletics Championship

2016                                        Javelin – 4^th

World Athletics Championships

1983 Helsinki, Finland                  49.44metres in Javelin to finish 20^th overall

                                                 42.36metres in Discuss to finish 19^th Overall

1987 Rome, Italy                        48.60metres in Javelin to finish 16^th in Group A

After her athletic retirement, Mereoni Vibose took to a new sport and became a credible golfer.

FASANOC celebrates the life and sporting achievements of Mereoni Vibose. May she rest in peace.