Solomons powerlifters claim gold and silver in Oceania championship

The Solomon Islands powerlifting team is taking home gold and silver medals after the Oceania Regional Powerlifting Championships, and are now looking forward to the next challenge.

Held from 1 to 6 November in Fiji, the championships brought together 230 athletes from 11 Pacific nations: Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Sāmoa, Solomon Islands, Tahiti and Tuvalu.

The four-member Solomon Islands team competed in the Open and Masters categories, with two lifters making their regional championship debut.

Coach Leslie Ata told PMN News he’s proud of the team’s performance and the personal records they had achieved. He says the high-level competition formed part of their preparations for the Pacific Games in Tahiti next year.

Jay Jay Scott, 29, and Piuela Manuopangai, 31, have both won silver on their first appearances in the Open category.

Scott, who won silver in the men’s 66kg Open category, said the experience and achievement have given his career a boost.

Watch highlights of the Oceania Powerlifting Championships in Fiji below.

He says the result has given him the confidence to keep competing. He’s also achieved a personal best, which has motivated him to pursue further competition.

Manuopangai won silver in the women’s 84kg+ Open bench press and says the result has marked the start of her powerlifting career. She is also passionate about rugby and va’a.

She says competing alongside high-calibre athletes has been a different experience, but she has stayed focused and enjoyed being among experienced competitors.

Coach Leslie Ata with Piuela Manuopangai, who won silver in the women’s 84kg+ Open bench press on her regional championship debut. Photo/Supplied

Manuopangai says she is happy with her result and the numbers she has posted. She hopes to inspire others, particularly young girls back home, to take up powerlifting.

She says comparing herself with other athletes has never been the goal; instead, she hasto tested herself and establish a starting point to build on.

With Tahiti next year in her sights, she is prioritising powerlifting as her main sport in which to represent Solomon Islands.

The team’s two more experienced lifters, Elizabeth Bisafo and Ronald Bei Talasasa, have both won gold in their respective categories.

Bisafo, 29, and Talasasa, 62, are no strangers to regional powerlifting competition.

Bisafo, who transitioned from weightlifting to powerlifting, won gold in 2022, and has now claimed her second in this year’s women’s 63kg Open category.

Jay Jay Scott and Ronald Bei Talasasa with their medals after the Oceania Regional Powerlifting Championships. Photo/Supplied

“Being part of this event is a good build-up for me and to achieve another gold is encouraging.”

For Talasasa, it’s his third gold, this time in the men’s 74kg Masters 3 category. He won his first gold in Nauru in 2024, and his second in New Zealand last year.

Talasasa acknowledges the challenges of competing at a high level and praises the Solomon Islands National Institute of Sport for supporting the team’s preparations.

He’s particularly impressed by his teammates’ performances in the Open categories. “They have a big future ahead.”

Talasasa says Australia, New Zealand and other Pacific nations are traditionally strong in regional powerlifting competitions. But their training at the Institute of Sport before travelling to Fiji has helped them better prepare.

Elizabeth Bisafo and Piuela Manuopangai after their medal-winning performances in Fiji. Photo/Supplied

He’s stressing that preparation is essential, warning that athletes need years of training to compete safely and successfully rather than relying on a few months ahead of an event.

He says competing in Oceania powerlifting events, including the Pacific Games, requires courage and commitment, and recommends two to three years of preparation.

The team is scheduled to begin its journey home on the weekend.

Elton Lonaratha Jnr, a journalism student at Wintec, is currently completing a six-week internship at PMN News.