Talat Mehmood

Solomons with no Money

MOST competitors train for

years before a Commonwealth Games but Joshua Kisini and Leslie Ata had barely hours. The Solo mon Islands boxer and weightlifter ar rived in Auckland with no money and only the clothes on their backs.

But their hurried journey was the start of a fairytale rags-to-(almost) riches story, as the public and fellow athletes overwhelmed the pair with donations of money and gear.

Such generosity provided new clothes, a team uniform for the games opening

ceremony and tracksuits.

At the height of the outpouring, just moments before the Canadian team had dropped by with two large boxes of training gear. Solomons team manager Henry Teho had taken one call which left him amazed. “This man just rang up and said if we needed some money, just ask. ‘How much did we need?’,” recalled Teho, shaking his head in wonder.

“What can I do? In our way of life we can’t say give us this much. I just said we’d gratefully accept whatever’s given.”

The Solomons Government had with

drawn the original larger games team due to lack of funds. But encouragement from visiting New Zealand Foreign Minister Russell Marshall meant the last minute dispatching of the two-man team, just so the Solomons flag could fly with those of the rest of the Commonwealth.

Teho says the teammates were selected on a very simple basis. “They were the only two we could get hold of straight away.” They were given three days notice but the Games trip was only confirmed two hours before the plane left Honiara.

Both competitors are champions at home, but the month-long layoff over Christmas with all the parties and no practice, took its toll on their fitness.

Ata finished bottom of the 67.5 kg weightlifting division with a total lift of 212.5 kg. Teho says Ata could have done better with longer preparation. “I mean what we did was run around to his place of work and say, “you’re going.”

Kisini had put on skg and moved up to fight as a welterweight. Teho and Solomons boxing coach, former New Zealand champion Lance Revill, agree Kisini should have won his bout against Sri Lankan Saman Gunarante. Kisini was KO’d in the third round.

“If he’d lasted, he would have won on points,” says Teho. “The punch he re ceived wasn’t a KO. He felt he wasn’t fit so he just gave up.” The Sri Lankan was super fit and Teho believes Kisini’s per formance in the first two rounds shows that given a year’s hard training, he could win gold in the light-welterweight division.

Kisini himself, who fought in bor rowed boots, gloves, shorts and robe, was delighted with his performance. “I ha ven’t fought for nine months and there’s nobody to spar with at home except my nephew. I was just pleased I didn’t get knocked out in the first round.” □

Rags to riches? the Solomon Islands team with gifts in Auckland.