Athletes from the 2022 Fiji Secondary Schools Championships will be representing Fiji in Australia

A team of 9 athletes will be sent by Athletics Fiji to compete at the 2023 World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, NSW on 18th February 2023 in the hopes of reviving middle and long-distance running in Fiji.

Athletics Fiji Team Leader, Robin Dayal says this includes leading athletes from the 2022 Fiji Secondary Schools Championships, who will be representing Fiji for the first-time.

Dayal says they are Akeneta Lutu of Lomaivuna High School who will be participating in the Under 20 Women 6km, Evueli Toia and Jeremiah Singh for the Open Men 10km.

He adds they also have a open mixed relay team which consists of 4 athletes of which 2 men and 2 women will be running a 2km loop.

Athletics Fiji says their relay team is made up of siblings Adi Ama Masau and Adi Fulori Masau, while the two boys consist of Sailasa Moala of Lomaivuna Secondary School and Pratik Goundar, of Andhra College, Lautoka.

These seven athletes will be joined by Ben Ashe and Masters athlete Pramesh Prasad, Fiji long-distance runners based in Australia to boost this young team and provide support and guidance.

Athletics Fiji hopes that these athletes and others that are training will continue their momentum and perform well in the lead up to the Pacific Games, that will be held in the Solomon Islands in November.

World Athletics has also approved that the Cross-Country race to be part of the Olympic Games.