Yeshnil Karan will not represent Fiji at Pacific Games - Rodan Jr

Team Fiji Athletics Sectional Manager, Joseph Rodan Junior has now made it public that Yeshnil Karan will not be chosen to represent Fiji in the Pacific Games in Samoa in July although it has been established that Karan ran a faster time than the last 1,500 metres Pacific champion in 2015.

Rodan Junior said that Karan will not be part of the team when questioned by FijiVillage if Karan will be given a chance to represent Fiji in this year’s Pacific Games after confirmation that Karan was faster than the gold medalist in the 1,500 metres Pacific Games in Papua New Guinea.

The 2015 Pacific Games gold medalist who was from New Caledonia, Adrian Kela clocked a time of 4 minutes 19 seconds while Yeshnil Karan clocked a time of 4 minutes 9 seconds in the Coca-Cola Games.

However Rodan Junior says Karan can take part in other competitions. 

The question also arises on why Karan cannot go to the Pacific Games but can take part in the Oceania Grand Prix which has Australian and NZ athletes, and the Melanesian Games.

When questioned by FijiVillage as to who sets the A and B qualifying standard times in the 1500 metres event for the Pacific Games, Rodan says that executives of Athletics Fiji in coordination with the Selection Justification Committee set the A and B qualifying standard times.

LegendFM News also sought clarification on the 2019 Selection Criteria on the Athletics Fiji website that states “A qualification standard could be set by the Gold winner at the last Pacific Games and B set by the Silver/Bronze winner.”

Athletics Fiji has set the 1,500 metres event A standard qualifying time of 3 minutes 58 seconds and B standard time of 4 minutes 5 seconds.

Rodan now says that Athletics Fiji’s A and B qualifying standard times is set according to their strategic plans and not so much based on the last Pacific Games 1,500 metres gold medalist.

We also questioned Rodan Junior on whether Athletics Fiji has spoken to Karan since his Coke Games gold medal win on April 16th. Rodan confirmed today that they have not spoken to Karan.

Karan who stays in Tavua says he was also not aware of the Fiji Games during Easter and he would have attended the trials if he knew about it.

It has also been confirmed by Team Fiji Chef de Mission to the Pacific Games, Patrick Bower that the cut off date for the submission of the list of names of athletes to compete in the Pacific Games in Samoa was last Friday.

Questions are now being raised on why Athletics Fiji did not make any attempt from April 16th to speak to Karan. 

Bower says that Karan’s time at the Coke Games was a one off adding that the decision of the choice of athletes is that of Athletics Fiji and they have not spoken to Karan to date.

We are also trying to speak to the Sports Ministry about this issue.

ADVERTISEMENT