Athletics Fiji’s Technical Advisor Albert Miller has stressed that it is always important that before anyone makes a public statement they need to verify their facts so that there are no discrepancies or disagreements as to what the qualifying standards are.
Miller highlighted this when questioned on the comments made by Team Fiji Athletics Sectional Manager for the Pacific Games Joseph Rodan Junior which misled the people on the Pacific Games qualifying times in an earlier interview with Fijivillage.
This comes after Yeshnil Karan disputed the comments made by Rodan Jnr that he did not meet the qualifying times for the Pacific Games.
[Photo: Sharmila Lata Facebook]
Miller also clarified that the qualifying B Grade time for the Pacific Games 1,500 metres event is 4 minutes 5 seconds and not 4 minutes 3 seconds or 4 minutes 9 seconds as mentioned by Rodan Jr.
When asked if Karan not being selected for the Pacific Games was a personal issue, Miller stressed that it is not and Karan was close to meeting the qualifying B grade time clocking 4 minutes 9 seconds.
Miller hopes Karan will not be discouraged by this as he can make it one day as Athletics Fiji has standard criteria to follow.
Ashneel Nand, a teacher who spoke on behalf of Karan today says they were informed that Karan clocked 4 minutes 9 seconds when he ran in the 1,500 metres event in the Coca Cola Games which is the qualifying B Standard time as highlighted by Rodan Jnr.
Yeshnil Karan and teacher Ashneel Nand
In an earlier interview, Rodan Jnr said that Yeshnil Karan clocked a time of 4 minutes 19 seconds adding that the B Standard time is 4 minutes 9 seconds.
When contacted this morning on this earlier comment Rodan Jnr corrected himself and highlighted that Karan did in fact run the 1500 meters event with a time of 4 minutes 9 seconds and that the B Standard time is 4 minutes 3 seconds while the A Grade Qualifying time is 3 minutes 58 seconds.
[Photo: ridiqiulas photography Facebook]
Fijivillage also questioned Rodan Jnr on whether this is a personal issue that an upcoming athlete who made the time is not being selected to represent Fiji, Rodan stressed that it is not.
Rodan says the final national trials for the Pacific Games was held prior to the Coca-Cola Games and the Easter Games and the athletes who had qualified had already been selected.
Karan won gold in the 1,500 metres and 3,000 metres events in the Coca‑Cola Games last month defeating national rep, Petero Veitaqomaki.
Rodan also clarified that Petero Veitaqomaki who was beaten by Karan in the 1,500 metres and 3,000 metres events in the Coca-Cola Games is representing Fiji in the 800 metres and 4x400 metres relay in the Pacific Games.
He says that many have questioned why Veitaqomaki was picked to go to the Pacific Games however Rodan says Veitaqomaki currently holds the fastest time in the region in the 800 metres with a time of 1 minute 53 seconds.
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