LOCAL Solomon Island athlete Amanda Korinihona will have lots on her plate this weekend as she not only prepares for the Suva tennis finals but also the Coke Games.
Young Korinihona has been selected by her school to compete at Fiji’s biggest secondary school athletics competition set to kick off this Saturday at Suva National Stadium.
Apart from that she is also eyeing the grand final showdown of the LICI tennis tournament also in Suva this weekend.
She will be going up against the women’s open single top seed Adalyn Hazelman who won the other semi-final match against Alesi Molotii a fortnight ago.
Young Korinihona who hails from Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea is the little sister of former tennis sensation and SPG Gold Medallist Gurianna Korinihona who now lives in the United States with her husband.
Korinihona told Star Sports from Lautoka in Fiji that she was looking forward for the toughest test of her life this weekend.
“It will be a tiring weekend but I will be enjoying it and that’s the main thing”, she said.
Meanwhile, the countdown for Fiji’s biggest school athletics meet has begun.
Nikotimo Radiva, best male athlete at the Triple N Zone, has been singled out as the man to beat after out-pacing favourite, Marist Brothers High School's Banuve Tabakaucoro at the Easter Games this year.
The Sila Central High School speedster ran a blistering 10.60s during the Easter athletics meet, leaving Tabakaucoro in his wake, and scorched home in 10.66s to take out the blue ribbon event at his zone meet.
Radiva is coached by former Fiji sprint champion John Lum Kon who believes that he has the potential to sprint away with the gold.
Lelean's Isoa Me, a 200m specialist, is also a strong contender and should not be counted out of the equation.
He ran a close second to Radiva during the Triple N Zone 100m finals, which shows he has the ability to produce the goods on the day. The Davuilevu sprinter has set his sights on upsetting the Sila pace man and is in the final stages of preparation for the Coke's.
Radiva aside, there is no denying the speed and power of the current blue ribbon champion. Suva Grammar School's Mataiyasi Savou goes into the senior boys 100m with a wealth of experience behind him and remains the leading contender for the blue ribbon gold. He will be the biggest threat to Radiva, provided he maintains his current form.
Last but certainly not least is the winner of the Nadi Zone and wild card- Tauvasa Vakarau. The Ratu Navula student ran 10.85 seconds to take out the Nadi Zone senior boys 100m on a grass track. Vakarau believes he can go faster and the synthetic tracks at Laucala Bay may well be what this 18-year-old needs to prove his mettle.
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