PROBLEMS WITH VISAS.
Partly due to the Australian Immigration demanding the signatures of the real parents (not the legal guardians !) for giving permission for u18s to be granted a visa, one of the team had significsnt problems with obtaining the necessary visa to travel.
By the eve of departure of the team on Thursday June 21st., only two had visas ! That evening (Weds) three more (including the Team Manager !) had their passports back. That meant that the sixth person, Tebwao, had to sweat it out over the weekend until various nenbers of KAA and others managed to get the necessary paperwork done for him to get his visa before travelling on his own on Monday (June 24th.) But he made it !
Also making it and arriving from UK around noon on Tuesday was ex-Secretary David Little. He had managed to obtain vsrious items of kit in UK which were then distributed to the team.
OPENING CEREMONY.
This was held on the Cairns Waterfront on Tuesday evening and was fairly informal. First there was a march of the teams to welcome them to Cairns. Then a number of short speeches of thanks and welcome. The Guest of Honour was Sergei Bubka, brilliant pole-vaulter and now a Vice-President of IAAF. The finale was a BBQ which was well-organised and plentiful.
RESULTS FROM DAY 1.
All the athletes performed on the first day of competition. Kiatau Cama placed 5th. in his Heat of the u20 M100m. in 11.67. Having qualified for the West Region Final, he plsced 4th,= (out of 8 runners) in 11.58, which is his electronic PB.
Tebwao Tekiau started in the u20M 10,000m. but had to stop after about five laps because he needed a toilet break ! (There is a lesson in there somewhere !)
The two female athletes competed in the u20 WLJ. Teina Tewaaki jumped quite well and her 4th, and 6th. jumps would have beaten her PB. However on the 4th. jump she walked back through the sand after landing (NJ !), and on the 6th. jump was very narrowly over the board. Two more lessons here ! Her team-mate, Etita Tio, was consistent and put in a new PB of 4.50m. with no fouls. The main technical lesson for both girls was that you gain by lifting the legs before landing. Etita placed 4th. out of 8 in the West division, and Teina placed 8th. with 4.08m.
Raobu Tarawa, the most experienced of the five athletes, went in the Open MDiscus. He had only one foul, all the five legal throws were over 36m. and he won the bronze medal in the West Region with a best of 38.03m. But this is over 3m. below his best and he seems to be on a performance plateau with no progress year on year. However it is good that he is still competing, having left school.
Not to be forgotten is the massive contribution of Rusila Mwea in preparing all the documents for this trip and then taking on the task of Team Manager. This journey could not have happened without her.
IMAGES.
The team together before the Opening Ceremony / Raobu leading with the flag / Kiatau in 100m. / Discus bronze for Raobu.
Last Modified on 03/07/2012 22:35