Kiribati Athletics Association

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Independence 2010 Results. Following the Inter-School competition last week, for which we so far have no results, KAA organised a multi-age-group event to celebrate the 31st. Anniversary of Kiribati Independence. more -->

Recovery ! The Secretary, having spent an unplanned 5 months in UK, has returned to Tarawa. more -->

KAA Championships For some time, we have planned to hold these on the evening of Friday, May 28 and the morning of May 29. Well ..... more -->

World Athletics Days 2010 These did not quite go as planned ! more -->

Elected to the KAA Executive. A number of elections were held at the recent KAA AGM. more -->

Problem for the Secretary ! KAA Secretary, David Little, has had an unforeseen stay in U.K. more -->

Two to Oceania under-18s Thanks to Oceania AA, we were able to send an official and two athletes to Sydney in March. more -->

PB for George in Doha. Running in the 60m. Heats in the World Indoor Championships in Doha, George Pine set a new PB. more -->

George off to the Desert ! Emerging sprinter George David Pine has been selected to travel with the Oceania group to compete in the World Indoor Championships in Doha in March. more -->

A different Saturday ! The year is winding down but still they come ! more -->

And then ONE came ! To make Saturday morning worthwhile, one female athlete came and did some work ! more -->

The November Problem. A piece of verse to point out the way some athletes think. more -->

Primary Championships 2009 A short Heats Meeting and longer Finals morning attracted eight schools (out of twelve) to participate this year. more -->

Banrenga on the road. Images of Banrenga during and after her race. more -->

Long-Distance Road Races 2009. Even with only one in each race, it was worth staging them !
(Images of Kaboka at the start, just finished, and receiving his "kaniwanga" from Kaeka.) more -->

Uninterrupted Pentathlon - well, nearly ! Except for the intrusion of a truck on the track during the Boys' 800m., our Junior Pentathlon was completed satisfactorily ! more -->

Only Kaitinano on the final day ! 25-year-old Kaitinano showed that training and performance are possible beyond the school environment. more -->

Raobu smashes his own NR. Having put behind him the disappointment of not setting a PB in the Javelin, Raobu Tarawa puts another half-metre onto his own MShot NR. more -->

Stunning Record for Ruti. In her first-ever race at 5000m. and her first overseas experience, 14-year-old Ruti Ioneba wrote her name in the Kiribati record books. more -->

First up for Kiribati ! In the 8th. Pacific Mini Games being held in Rarotonga, Cook Islands, Beteru Ateri will be first to compete in Athletics for Kiribati, in his Heat of the 110m. Hurdles. more -->

Joyce in her first international ! Ms. Tioiti (Joyce) Katutu raced well in her Heat of the W100m. in Berlin. more -->

Is Usain scared ? Nooa Takooa challenged the best in the world when he went down on his blocks in the Heats of the 100m. in Berlin. more -->

ZERO TOLERANCE - a mistake ? On Day 1 of the IAAF Congress in Berlin, the "False Start" Rule was amended again ! more -->

National Record for Kiakia in M400. Capping the achievements of the Kiribati athletes on Day 3 of the Micronesia Championships on Gold Coast, Kiakia Tekambwa won the Final of the M400m. in a new NR of 51.98. more -->

More happiness on Day 2 of MAC ! Thursday (Aug.06) brought more success to our athletes and joy to the supporters ! more -->

Micro success on Day 1 on Gold Coast. On Day 1 (Tuesday August 04) in the Micronesia Athletics Championships (MAC) being staged on Gold Coast in conjunction with the OAA Grand Prix, plus the Melanesia and Polynesia Championships, Kiribati athletes have achieved early success. more -->

Another saga unfolds ! Yet again, a KAA team encounters a few problems ! more -->

ANOTHER N.R. - This one was hiding ! Apologies to Ms. Kaingauee David ! Her remarkable JG 400m. run in 1-07.5 should have been recognised earlier ! more -->

Independence 2009. Another long day in the sun, but worth it ! more -->

KISSAC (Inter-School) 2009 Results. A summary of the results of KISSAC showing an imrpoving standard and level of competition. more -->

The key background officials. No event like the Kiribati Inter-School (KISSAC) can function without competent staff in key roles. more -->

Win number NINE ! St. Louis High School has managed to keep producing a winning team for the last nine years. more -->

Three National records in the Inter-School ! International athlete Raobu Tarawa with best-ever MShot and MDiscus performances, plus the Open Girls 4 x 400m. Relay team from Government school EBS, achieved the highest standard efforts during the recent Kiribati Inter-Secondary Schools' Championships (KISSAC) by setting National Records. more -->

FIRST-EVER INDOOR ATHLETICS ! Having been forced by the rain last Wednesday to go into the maneaba, we found it was an excellent High Jump "theatre" ! more -->

Personal best for Uaati in Italy ! Uaati Iaaro achieved a PB in the World Youth Championships in Sudtirol, Italy, last Wednesday, July 08. more -->

Up-grading the track. Asking one Ministry has resulted in another Ministry starting work on an up-grade of the basic facilities. more -->

TRIALS 7 (July 2009) Most athletes trained with their own school teams. more -->

Olympic (Anniversary) Day 2009 We decided to stage a "Fun Run" after work on June 23rd. more -->

A struggle to hold our Championships - but we finished ! Due to more clashes with other users (Football), it was a struggle to complete our annual Championhips programme. more -->

World Athletics Day 2 2009 - and no clashes ! This time it was just Athletics ! more -->

Two to the Congress. Secretary David Little and new Committee member Kaeka Temoai have travelled to Gold Coast to the 2009 Oceania AA Congress. more -->

World Athletics Day 1. 2009. As last year, today (Saturday May 02)we held the first of two Meetings for the more Junior age-groups. more -->

Introducing the new President of KAA As the result of an EGM last Saturday, we have a new (interim) President. (Photo: Announcing the results at WAD 2 on May 16.) more -->

KAA April Trials. Under pressure from another Stadium booking, we managed to complete a number of events, including a WYC Selection Trial. more -->

The BURST has continued ! With the majority of Secondary Schools having groups training for their domestic Inter-Team competitions in the past two months, it has been a hive of activity ! more -->

A burst of activity ! In the last four weeks there has been a huge increase in participation and activity. more -->

Trials 2 - in preparation phase ! Numbers coming training are building rapidly but not many are tempted to compete yet. more -->

Thank you Tanroo, etc. A hard core of athletes has started serious preparation training again. more -->

A bionic knee ! The KAA Secretary (David Little) had a total knee replacement operation in Brisbane on January 8th. more -->

Final Trials 2008 - or that was the idea ! Following a tail-off in training, only one Senior athlete came to today's Trials. more -->

Must we start again ? A sad poetic end to the year ! more -->

The International Calendar - a bit of a mess ! In the next few years, we have some unenviable choices to make ! more -->

It's all gone quiet ! Following the rush of activity to organise and stage the Inter-Island "Runga" last month, Athletics has taken a back seat ! more -->

While they were here ! The Inter-Island Championships (Runga) finished on Nov. 15 but some teams are still here. (24/11) more -->

And the Womens' results ! Several new faces among the winners ! Excellent ! more -->

Te Runga - detailed results. Now you can see the quality of some of the performances. more -->

Te Runga (Inter-Island Championship) 2008 Last weekend we staged the 2008 Athletics Runga, part of the bi-ennial Inter-Island, multi-sport competition. more -->

Safely home - and eventually with baggage ! The travel experiences mount up - why only half (8) of the bags reached Brisbane with the group ! Two days later the rest caught up !
(And a few more Pune pictures.) more -->

When will the problems end ? 14 people reached Brisbane from Singapore, but eight bags did not accompany them ! more -->

Closing and impressions. Another lavish Ceremony brought the CYG in Pune to a close last night. more -->

Pune school visit. All 71 countries visiting Pune had been twinned with a Pune school. more -->

Pune up-date. The results of our Athletics efforts at the CYG in Pune. more -->

In Fiji - heading for Pune. The Kiribati multi-sport team is currently in Nadi, Fiji, en route to Melbourne - Singapore - Mumbai and then to Pune for the 3rd. Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG). more -->

Inter-Primary 2008. The sun shone, the athletes used up loads of energy competing and shouting, and the grass roots received some fertiliser ! more -->

KCY Competition - and some results. The day was blessed - of course - and some performances were competitive ! more -->

Catholic Youth - on holiday - and running ? Next Wednesday (Sept. 03) the Kiribati Catholic Youth (KCY) will hold their Inter-Parish Athletics competition. (Up-date with photos) more -->

Life goes on ! Even as we wait to welcome back our Olympic delegation, thoughts turn to the grass roots and the Inter-Primary 2008. more -->

KAITINANO - an answer. The latest information is that Ms. Kaitinano (our first Olympian) was sick again while transiting through Fiji and was diagnosed as having a serious illness. more -->

Rabangaki's season's best ! Running in Heat 3 of the M100 this morning in Beijing, Rabangaki clocked a season's best of 11.29. more -->

What ! Kaitinano not there ??? Communication breakdown tantamount to failure has resulted in us "at home" only being informed TODAY that our female sprinter did not actually make it to Beijing ! more -->

Beijing Profiles. A summary of the achievements so far of our representatives in Beijing. more -->

We still had Trials 7 - a week late ! After the deluge last Friday and Saturday, we started early this morning (August 2nd.) and managed to do a variety of events. more -->

Struggling to reach Beijing ! Is it KAA or is it me ? All our trips seem to become sagas ! more -->

Conducive to training ? Well maybe ! The heaviest prolonged rain for months has cancelled our Trials Meeting today ! more -->

Training for Pune - the regime starts ! Raobu and David have been given serious training schedules for the twelve weeks before departure to Pune. more -->

Less able - but so keen ! The disabled people of Te Toamatoa Group showed that they can be as enthusiastic athletes as anyone else. more -->

Independence Athletics 2008 This year we have been given a morning for our events. more -->

Comment on Inter-School Day 2. A hotter day with much hot competition. more -->

News from the Inter-School. For results from the annual Inter-Secondary School Championships, refer to the Inter-School 2008 page next week. This item is purely descriptive. more -->

Recalling the Opening Ceremony in Saipan. A typical but enjoyable Saipan entertainment ! more -->

An uneventful journey home ? Could this be, of recent times, our first journey without problem ?! more -->

And on Day 3 in Saipan ! Amazingly, after asthma, Kaitinano ran for a bronze. And amazingly after yesterday, Kiakia ran bravely for another bronze ! more -->

Tierata presenting the Octathlon medals.

So near, so far ! Rabangaki was only 26 points behind the overall winner in the Octathlon, repeating his OAA silver medal in the event. more -->

Another piece of history ! On his first-ever international, David Birati won the first-ever GOLD MEDAL for Kiribati at Oceania level (and equalled the National Record). more -->

Grand Prix Day 2 - three more PBs ! On the second Grand Prix Day (Monday June 23) the KAA athletes picked up three more PBs. more -->

First PB - after only four hours sleep ! One of our three new internationals competed in Shot Putt at the OAA Grand Prix and hit his target of a PB. more -->

Preparing for departure to Saipan. Now we have passports and tickets, we pray for reliable flights ! more -->

Local medicines - are there WADA tests ? On the OACA web-site, there is an article about the unknown effects of local treatments, and the impracticality of testing for them. more -->

Running out of space ! As our Kiribati Discus throwers become more proficient, we are in danger of threatening the local traffic ! more -->

Challenging Oceania ! We intend that our limited (size) team will have a positive impact in Saipan ! more -->

Kaitinano - not thinking about the Olympics !

Saipan first, then Beijing ! The two athletes we have targeted for Beijing will first test themselves at the Oceania Meeting in Saipan next month. more -->

Day 2 Results and more images ! As you will see, a mixture of quality in the results. more -->

KAA Day 2. When they put themselves forward, the stars shone again ! more -->

First-ever KAA Championships ! At times in the past, when we had to hold them separate from the Inter-Island multi-sport Runga, these have been the "Tarawa Championships". more -->

.....And the presentations ! Our new Treasurer, Rusila, did the announcing honours - and provided the refreshments ! more -->

WAD 2 results. This is a summary of the winning performances on Day 2. more -->

WAD Day 2 Kaminihi stars again. more -->

Our new computer After seven tropical years, our original hard drive softened a little ! more -->

The story of Day 1. In spite of heavy rain last night and more showers this morning, we completed our programme. more -->

World Athletics Days in Kiribati. Part 1. As last year, anticipating large numbers, we have divided our efforts for WAD into two parts, depending on age-group. more -->

April Trials The track is wearing badly - but this is the story of Trials 4 2008 ! more -->

Top school gets into gear ! St. Louis High School Inter-School squad launched its campaign today. more -->

Bonea putting himself forward ! Already known as an Intermediate (u-18), Bonea Tokataake (DOB 21-12-89) returned to throwing training today. more -->

Bound for Pune - David jumping for Joy ! David Birati (pronounced BEE-rass) is working hard to compete in the Commonwealth Youth Games Athletics in Pune, near Mumbai, India, in October. more -->

A new training for Pole Vault ! Some of the same boys who were somersaulting on the beach (see earlier story) transferred their skills to the Boat Channel Bridge on the main causeway ! more -->

St. Louis results (winners) and photos. Herewith a summary of results from the SLHS Meeting last week. more -->

Top school domestic + old boys ! The top Secondary School for Athletics, St. Louis High School, held its Inter-Team competition, with the addition of a team of former students ! more -->

Trials 3 - Planets and little stars ! The monthly Trials Meeting gave a chance for the big stars to test themselves and the lesser lights to have a competition ! more -->

Our first Pole Vaulter ? Maybe ! From the voluntary group of young gymnasts pictured in the photos may emerge our first pole vaulter ! more -->

Thanks for offering ! We had lunch to say "Thanks !" to the new faces on the Committee ! more -->

A new-look Committee ! At the AGM held yesterday, a number of "new faces" became part of the Executive Committee. more -->

A little piece of History ! Participation by Rabangaki in the 60m. in Valencia was another little piece of Kiribati Athletics history ! more -->

How will he fare in Valencia ? Rabangaki Nawai, aged 22, has gone to Spain to compete in the World Indoor Athletics Championships, the first-ever I-Kiribati to compete indoors. more -->

Back to the grind-stone ! The past week has seen a return to action of a number of senior athletes plus a new influx for the Trials today. more -->

The F4 beach run winners - and Tonika ! Subsequent photos of the boy and girl who were the best Form 4 runners in the beach run on Feb. 8th. more -->

More on the rising stars. More photos of Mikaere. more -->

Rising stars ! Mikaere and Toonika (Courage Award last year) are in serious training for the 2008 season. more -->

This was a Fun Run ??? To get our new Form 4 students used to being at the best Athletics school, more than 130 of them did a Fun Run - on the beach ! more -->

Junior (Tunia) is BACK ! The current holder of the National Record for MHammer Throw has returned to training ! more -->

Primary Schools' workshop competition. At the end of a 12-day Athletics workshop, a competition was organised for the participants. more -->

Do you have this problem ? We are almost out of petrol ! more -->

Rab (with cap) happy about the 4 x 100 !

Rabangaki off to Valencia ! After his outstanding contribution to our success in Guam, and in our 60m. Trials, Rabangaki Nawai has been entered for the 60m. in Valencia in March. more -->

ADO's Primary Schools' Camp. Our Development Officer, Tierata Taukaban, is holding a 12 session Camp for Primary School students during their holidays. more -->

It's Hammer again ! After our initial burst of enthusiasm with Hammer Throw, there were some doldrums ! more -->

New Qualification for Olympics from 2012 ? We understand that London 2012 has proposed to change the ability of Track and Field Athletics to have, by automatic invitation, two competitors in the Olympic Games ! more -->

Announced in Parliament !! How often is a Budget Debate adjourned to the sound of applause ? more -->

Safely home again ! After another demonstration of I-Kiribati hospitality in Majuro, and a minimum of drama at the airport, we finally touched down again in Tarawa. more -->

Some more pictures ! Not a new story, but with much to celebrate, we celebrate with the athletes in their moment of glory ! more -->

A man among boys ! Rabangaki won the Discus.

At least one medal each ! We maintained our place as probably the best all-round Mens'team in Micronesia. more -->

MAC Results Day 1. Within 24 hours of arrival, the KAA athletes were performing in Guam. more -->

...And here we are in Majuro ! Compared with what went before, from early yesterday (Dec.11), life has been relatively smooth ! more -->

Whisper it ! We're going to Guam ! After drama has built on drama for the past five weeks, we now actually have a departure time ! more -->

The Toamatoa (EAD) event. A range of disabilities did not dim the enthusiasm of the Toamatoa Disabled Group, nor their support for each other ! more -->

New angle on Shot Putt ? You know those beginners who cannot get any lift from their legs nor good angle of release ? more -->

Officials on course ! Three of the officials of KAA are currently in Brisbane for CECS Courses. more -->

Limited numbers but fair quality ! With only the Guam Squad in regular training, the numbers at Trials 11 were limited. But there were good performances. more -->

Starting practice. Ieie Matang, our fastest sprinter in Melbourne in 2006, is working at his technique. more -->

Faster (?) and higher ! The KAA squad training for M.A.C. in Guam is using unconventional and conventional ideas ! more -->

Kiribati Team for MAC in Guam. (PRAYING !) We have been trying to arrange our travel to get to the Micronesian Athletics Championships (MAC) in Guam in December. more -->

Getting ready for MAC in Guam. The KAA Executive Committee has nearly completed a selection of athletes to compete in the Micronesia Championships in Guam in December. more -->

Registering with Oceania Athletics Coaches Assocn. OACA has a new web-site. To get access to the contents, you need to register. more -->

90-minute Pentathlon ! Due to another clash (this time with Football) we had to compress five events into 90 minutes ! more -->

Core stability ? Training for Guam includes keeping your balance and making the legs work ! more -->

The new A.D.O. for Micronesia. The current KAA President, Tierata Taukaban, has been contracted to KAA as the new Athletics Development Officer for the south of Micronesia. more -->

Why no Pentathlon ?! Bully-boy tactics or just bad communication ? We may never know ! more -->

Developing new talent. Tonika Aretema was already a fair young sprinter (11.9/25.0), but now....! more -->

Dream Runs 2007 ! Tomorrow we will stage the eighth running of the Dream Runs. And it sort of happened ! more -->

Only four came back ! In spite of everything, we managed to complete an Inter-Primary competition ! more -->

Home at last - and Thanks, Minister ! After waiting unnecessarily for five hours at Nauru airport, we arrived home to a Ministerial Reception ! more -->

Not home yet ! Yet another saga develops ! more -->

Group at Papasee'a with Kalolo and David.

Home tomorrow ! Actually we leave Samoa tomorrow (Monday Sept.10) and arrive just over three hours later in Tarawa on Tuesday afternoon (Sept. 11th.) -if the charter flight comes ! more -->

Can any country beat TEN ? Kiribati athletes set or broke ten National Records in the 13th. SPG in Samoa, making 2007 our most successful year in terms of improvement in standards. more -->

The target was realistic but... Experience and disappointment can be hard masters in the school of life ! more -->

Now we have EIGHT (NRs. broken or set here !) The athletes continue to re-write the KAA Record book ! more -->

Kaitinano the best on Day 3. Adding another National Record to her excellent performances, Kaitinano ended Heptathlon Day 1. in 5th. place. more -->

Two more for the record ! Day 3 at Apia Park has already yielded two more National Records for Kiribati athletes, both in Hurdles events ! more -->

Thanks Janelle ! In Samoa last December, we mentioned having a shortage of javelins ! more -->

Tearoba at his 400m. Heat finish and NR !

Another National Record goes ! (Day 2 up-date.) New boy Tearoba Takeruru ran with determination to break the existing NR for M400m. in his Heat this morning at Apia Park. Then Kaboka survived his first 10K. on the track ! more -->

SMASHED IT !!! New boy Taanini gave us a fantastic start to the track programme by smashing his PB and the National Record for M800m. in Apia. more -->

Kava - and fun - in the Gym while we waited !

Opening of SPG 2007 ! Too long - and bizarre - and we did not see much of it ! more -->

Making sharp progress ! Fairly predictably, that headline must be about somebody performing in the Javelin ! more -->

...Meanwhile in Osaka ! While the athletes wait in Apia, their friends have been performing in the World Championships in Osaka. more -->

Training and supporting ! Uncertainties about training facilities have now been clarified. more -->

We're here ! The whole delegation (41) is now together, in converted class-rooms of a Primary School, in four dormitories - but VERY near the food ! more -->

Half-an-hour to spare ! In typical fashion, the funding we needed became available only 30 minutes before the airline's deadline this afternoon ! more -->

Maybe tomorrow ! It gets worse ! If the Government thought it worth granting 50% of the requested funding, why is it not yet released ?! more -->

Thought transference ? Can we have mental communication from here to Cairns ? (Oh yes, and Kaitinano is training hard on Hurdles !) more -->

Shot land-mark ! Tiim Romatoa (training for Samoa) putt the Shot over 13m. in a Special Trial today. more -->

Cairns-bound for the Grand Prix ! Up-date ! Beteru and Buraieta have passports, visas and money. And the tickets were there - well, one-way, to Brisbane ! (What's an E-ticket ?) more -->

This is only the first of four !! On Tuesday, Aug. 7th. at 0730, two of KAA officials fly to Brisbane. But for some inspired intervention, their tickets would still be locked up in Customs at the airport ! more -->

Sparsely populated Trials 7. This was almost "going through the motions" ! more -->

Preparing for Samoa. (Up-date.) An almost-complete Squad meeting has crystallised our thinking !
And later Youth Day races revealed some form ! more -->

Karakoa (check shirt) on earlier course.

Busy busy August ! With a Lecturers' Course and three overseas trips, the logistics for August travel need to be well-organised ! more -->

Back to a Trials format. For Day 2 (Saturday July 14th.) we reverted to our normal Trials -type programme. more -->

Sunrise Racing ! For the Juniors (under-17) we had racing on the Causeway to the Boat Channel Bridge and back ! more -->

Day 1. and other excitements ! Kaitinano and many of the established other stars took most of the prizes. more -->

Independence 2007. Late production of programmes is becoming a disease ! (Photos show camping and action from Day 1. Friday July 13.) more -->

One competition too late ! The fantastic news from Ostrava is that Tanroo achieved the AUTOMATIC qualifying time for the M100m. in the WYC Heats....BUT not BEFORE the event ! (Photo of Tanroo signing the Oz Transit visa form.) more -->

A close contest - but St. Louis victorious again ! In spite of losing key athletes to other schools this year, we still managed to beat our closest rivals. more -->

Inter-School Day 1 - a rescue from disaster ! You know it was a mistake to expect anything here to start at 0700 a.m. if it involves more than one group !! more -->

New Committee Member. One of our recent "new faces" has decided to resign because he is heavily involved with his main sport "Table-Tennis". We are lucky to be able to replace him. more -->

Our first 40m. Intermediate ! After much practice and training, Itinikaeti joins the top throwers. more -->

Other Nauru scenes. The disabled were not forgotten and we socialised too ! more -->

On the podium in Nauru. The Kiribati runners were on top but others too enjoyed success ! more -->

Mission accomplished ! We were invited to send athletes to Nauru for their "Olympic Day" Road Race. We did. more -->

Olympic Day Run in Nauru. Countries outside Nauru have been invited to send athletes to compete in the Olympic Day 5k. Road Race on June 23rd. more -->

Joy with Nauru ! Once the competition was finished there was the hospitality, both ways ! more -->

Six Kiribati NRs on Day 2 ! Kaitinano was in stunning form to help in breaking four of the NRs set on Day 2 of the first-ever Tri-Rigger Championships. more -->

Tri-Rigger Day 1. They arrived, settled in, ate, slept a little and competed. (Nauru !) more -->

On their way ! The Tri-Rigger team from Nauru is expected to arrive at 0600 tomorrow morning ! more -->

TWO-HORSE RACE ? It seems as if it will be Bi-Rigger after all ! more -->

Helping to decide the future of sport in Kiribati. Three members of KAA attended the first part of the AGM of KNOC for 2007. more -->

Tri-Rigger .....or only Bi-Rigger ?! A change of schedule in an e-mail circular from "Our Airline" yesterday made it unlikely that the Marshall Islands team can get here for June 15th. more -->

MAY TRIALS - some steps forward ! This Meeting was fairly poorly attended but some of those who came made significant progress ! more -->

Backward Development ! We knew there was a problem when a Ministry removed the word "Development" from its name ! more -->

National Record on Day 2. We targetted a soft Relay record and challenged the boys to beat it ! more -->

More clashes for the Nationals ! Having thought we had sorted out any possible clashes with Football, our Nationals Part 1. was seriously delayed by yet another clash ! more -->

PLEASE Read the OACA Newsletter ! We are starting to assemble a May edition of the OACA Newsletter. more -->

World Athletics Day 2. In spite of our public Promotion on Wednesday, the athletes were slow to arrive. But eventually we had a good competition. more -->

Big public promotion ! With our second World Athletics Day on Saturday and National Championships and Tri-Rigger International in the near future, we decided to promote KAA in the main Square ! more -->

Thanks for the up-grade ! The main Government school has arranged for an up-grade of the track prior to their domestic Inter-Team competition. more -->

WORLD ATHLETICS DAYS in Kiribati. (Up-date.) Please refer to the World Athletics Day 2007 section for a little background information. Our first competition (of two) was yesterday. more -->

St. Louis 2007 Champs. Days 1. and 2. As the Champion School for the last several years, our Inter-Team results must give a useful guide about current form of many of the top athletes. more -->

We met the deadline - did you ? After urgent reminders from Yvonne, our Preliminary information for Osaka went today ! more -->

Happy Easter ! We wish all our cosmopolitan readers a happy celebration of the supreme sacrifice ! more -->

New Office Works ! After a pause for breath (and money !), we decided to get on with more conversion of the new KAA office. more -->

New (Acting) President for OACA ! In view of the decision by Tony Rice (President of OACA) to step down on health grounds, David Little has agreed to fill the post on an "Acting" basis. more -->

March Trials - Field only ! Due to the persistent low pressure over Tarawa this week, producing buckets of rain, a large percentage of the track is under water. more -->

Why are they strong ? Herewith one reason why I-Kiribati children have strong upper bodies ! more -->

Celebrating three score and ten ! The Secretary passes a life milestone ! more -->

New faces ! After the recent AGM, we have some new faces on the KAA Executive. more -->

AGM 2007. As scheduled in the KAA Constitution, we have held our AGM for 2007. more -->

Tri-Rigger Championship. Following discussions during the recent Oceania Congress and Seminar, Kiribati has agreed to host the first Tri-Rigger Championship. more -->

Another look at that fence (Part 3.) More evidence of what happened to another part of that fence ! more -->

Broken fence = much traffic. (Part 2.) Because of bad design, the 2001 frence was deliberately broken down within two weeks by truck drivers wishing to drive "where they want" ! more -->

Our traffic problem ! (Part 1.) This will show the damage being caused to our "track" by selfish drivers ! more -->

February Trials - why so inactive ? We had loads of athletes, but only nine competing ! more -->

No saga this time - we hope ! A little trauma for Simon ! more -->

MICRONESIA on the MOVE ! - AND HOW ! The representatives of the nations of Micronesia have met and aired some views ! Plus we have a new Rep. on the OAA Council ! more -->

...and there HE was at breakfast ! UP-DATE ! Lamine has arrived - and the photos do not lie ! (But you must wait for the photos ! Sorry !) more -->

We're off to meet Lamine ! He is not "the wonderful Wizard of Oz"..... but he IS our LEADER ! more -->

Our first Prize-Giving ! KAA staged its first-ever recognition of Athletes and Coaches. more -->

Our OBAS transport ! The Air Kiribati plane - and Tarawa from the air (coming home !) more -->

Marakei Pole Vault boys ! These lads (and others) risked life and limb on a variety of sticks ! more -->

The Supercat experience ! Photos of the trip to Marakei. more -->

The Marakei Saga ! This is the latest saga in the annals of KAA ! more -->

Level 5 Director of Coach Development. Two of the KAA Committee are currently in Brisbane attending the first Level 5 Course in Oceania aimed at training Directors of Coach DEVELOPMENT ! more -->

Taking the gospel to the outer islands ! We are blitzing the outer islands during the school holidays. more -->

We've started Pole Vault - have you ? Stimulated by witnessing (twice) demos. by Fletcher of how easy it is to teach Pole Vault, we started into the skills this morning ! more -->

Now we're off to Sydney ! (UP-DATE !) Our fastest Youth sprinter and our main Sprints coach have been asked to join the Oceania (Islands) Team to the Australian Youth Olympic Festival (AYOF) in Sydney this month. more -->

KAA Results Round-up from Fiji / Samoa. A comprehensive list of who of ours did what in the OAA Grand Prix and Championships. more -->

Please check Docs and Records. Please click on the latest two items on our Docs and Records. more -->

Home at last ! Having NEARLY made it on Thursday (Dec. 21), we actually got home for Christmas ! more -->

The Apia Saga concludes ! Well nearly ! The Saga of Kiribati at the OAA Championships in Apia is running to a conclusion ! Well, we thought it was ! more -->

A Micronesia analysis from Samoa. This is a mini-analysis of the top results from the OAA Championships just concluded in Samoa, as they affect Micronesia. more -->

OAA Samoa Championships summary. Three medals and six National Records must be a fair reward - but how much better could it have been ? more -->

Javelin National Record ! Rabangaki Nawai placed second in the Grand Prix Javelin event and broke his own NR by nearly 5m. more -->

Left behind again ! When companies deliberately overbook to cover their possible losses ... more -->

News from Grand Prix. So far we have not covered ourselves in glory ! more -->

One had to stay behind ! Senior thrower Tiim ROMATOA had to stay (for the time being) because his ticket had not yet arrived ! more -->

In communication ! The focal point of the office has been established again ! more -->

Gold in the Disabled Games ! An I-Kiribati female athlete achieved GOLD in the Pacific Games for the Disabled in Kuala Lumpur. more -->

Good luck in Fiji and Samoa ! Last night we had a farewell supper to wish ourselves all the best for the travelling, food, competition, etc. in the Oceania Grand Prix and Championships. more -->

Moving the office. Part 2. So we cleared the old (falling-down !) office ! more -->

Action from the Catholic Sports. The athletes preparing for Samoa took time out to help their local parish teams. more -->

Thank you to our readers ! Even in a quiet month we are still averaging nearly 50 hits per day ! more -->

Bridging Course Two of the Kiribati coaches attended the IAAF RDC Brisbane Bridging Course (CECS Level 1 - 2). more -->

Moving Office - part 1. It took a long time, a bit at a time ! more -->

Planning for 2007 ! Prompted by the needs of OAA (MF up-date)and looking ahead to the required completion of the A.R.F. for IAAF, we have begun the process of planning the Calendar and Budget for 2007. more -->

Team for Samoa. With a closing date of Nov. 10th., we notified OAA early about our final selection for the OAA Championships in Samoa. more -->

Some tug but no war ! Today, Tug-of-War came again to Kiribati ! more -->

Making decisions. Our monthly Executive Meeting included an item on selecting a team for the OAA Open and Under-18 Championships in Samoa in December. more -->

Rabangaki clinches a place ! In the final Selection Trials before we selected the team for the OAA Open and Under-18 Championships in Samoa in December, multi-events gold-medallist Rabangaki Nawai performed well to clinch a place on the plane ! more -->

Spreading the gospel ! This is the influence which a simple promotional pin can have ! more -->

Having to move (house x) office ! The building in which we are "officed" is in a dangerous condition - so we have to find a new "home" ! more -->

We did it - more or less ! We actually managed to complete at least a Track programme for the Primary Schools ! more -->

Two to the Grand Prix - again ! Thanks to the OAA Council, two of our five nominees have been selected to participate in the 2006 OAA Grand Prix Series in December in Fiji and Samoa. more -->

Pentathlon 2006. Six brave souls turned up in the morning sun and lasted the whole event ! more -->

World Athletics Day 2006 - up-date ! Please check out the World Athletics Day 2006 file for a surprise up-date ! more -->

7th. Half-Marathon and 10K. A habit (started on Marathon Day in Sydney 2000) continues as the Tarawa Dream Runs. more -->

Washed out - but wait and see ! 24 hours of rain took out the Primary Schools' Finals - for now ! more -->

Four hours of noise, action and sun ! More than 150 Primary School voices screamed encouragement during their action-packed Heats. more -->

Sprinters with Lilly (c) and Mariuti (r)

Trials 9 - Sprinters and Shot. On a partly-flooded track the sprinters and Shot putters managed to find some dry ground ! more -->

Training in the rain ! This is the DRY SEASON in Kiribati - but we had to train in the rain ! more -->

Samoa Squad meets. Communication seems difficult - but slowly the squad numbers build !
We met at the National Stadium to clarify the situation. more -->

Life after Te Runga ! Now we get back to the normal routine ! The boxing ring has been moved. We CAN get to the storeroom ! Training begins again ! more -->

Nadi Seminar impressions. This was a great social occasion - and we learned a few things too, not all about Athletics ! more -->

A microcosm of life ! Our experiences in Townsville included highs and lows ! more -->

Thanks - to all concerned ! We wish to thank everyone associated with our invaluable Olympic experiences in Athens. Almost all the vibes were positive and we are still catching the echoes !
(Please look in Docs and Records.) more -->

The letter from the Netherlands. A brilliant letter sent by a reader in Holland to our first Olympian, Kaitinano Mwemweata, in Athens, via KNOC. more -->

An ode to Athens. A poetic journey. more -->

Training Sessions Pay Off Athletics training sessions were conducted despite the rain but the venue was changed because of it more -->

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