Pacific

Sports news in brief for August 10

11:59 am on 10 August 2023

Solomon Kurukuru (yellow) lost to Thailand 10-1 on Wednesday 9 August 2023. Photo: Thailand Futsal

Tongan in Canadian jersey

The son of a former Tonga 15s rugby team captain will front up against his countrymen when Canada faces the 'Ikale Tahi in Nuku'alofa today.

Siaki Vikilani has been named in Canadian national team's line-up for this afternoon's clash at Te'ufaiva Park - the first of two Test matches between the two sides.

Vikilani is the son of former Tongan captain Tasi Vikilani, who moved to Canada some years ago.

Today's game is part of the teams Rugby World Cup preparations in Frace which starts next month.

Pearls shift focus

The Fiji Pearls netball team returned home to Nadi on Wednesday night after finishing 11th at the Netball World Cup in South Africa.

And captain Maria Lutua told FBC Sports they had gained alot of experience from the event which would help as they shift their focus to the Pacific Games in Honiara in November.

PNG weightlifters eye Olympics

Champion Papua New Guinea lifters Dick Toua and Morea Baru are set to compete at the World Weightlifting Championships in Riyahd in Saudi Arabia from September 2-17.

The event will also be a qualification event for the Paris Olympic Games.

Toua, the President of PNG Weightlifting, told The National newspaper in Port Moresby they were focussed on the meet in Saudi Arabia and determined to qualify for the Olympics.

The two are also preparing for the Pacific Games in Honiara, which starts on November 19.

Fiji Bati 9s named

The Fiji National Rugby League have named a18-member Fiji Bati 9s squad to play Test matches against Papua New Guinea this month.

Fiji Bati 9s manager Akuila Masi announced the team in Suva on Wednesday.

The Bati team will travel to PNG for the Test matches.

Masi told FBC Sports that they will select 15 players from the squad to defend the League 9s gold medal at the 2023 Pacific Games in November.

Pacific clubs at Amateur World Rugby Club Championship

Kolomotu'a of Tonga, Yamacia from Fiji and Lakapi Samoa Club from Samoa will be the Pacific representatives at the Mondial Amateur World Rugby Club Championship Trophy tournament in France during the Rugby World Cup.

The world festival of amateur rugby will bring together 20 amateur clubs from all over the world, like the professional world cup.

The event will be held between September 22-30 in four different French cities.

Kurukuru crushed

Solomon Islands futsall footbal team head coach Damon Shaw says the team have learned a lot from playing ASEAN teams at the Continental Futsal Championship in Thailand, despite two straight losses.

The team were thrashed 10-1 by Thailand on Wednesday after having also lost 6-2 to Myanmar in their opening game.

Speaking to the media after the Thai loss, Shaw said the scores were not important.

He added it was important that the players played their best and played according to the tactics that they had prepared.

The Kurukuru will play Mozambique next.