Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, 75, turned back the clock to secure a bronze medal in the shot put at the Oceania Athletics Championships on Wednesday.
Rabuka, who represented Fiji in the decathlon, shot put, discus, and hammer at the 1974 Commonwealth Games and also played rugby union for his country, competed in the over-65 age category at the Championships held in Suva, Fiji. He finished behind two Australians with a throw of 7.09 meters.
“Even at 75, I hope to inspire the younger generation to develop a habit of keeping fit and staying healthy,” Rabuka wrote on Facebook, sharing a picture of himself holding the medal. “It was indeed a morale booster for me.”
Earlier in the week, Rabuka narrowly missed out on another medal, finishing fourth in the discus event. Reflecting on the competition, he said, “It’s been exhilarating to go up against some of the finest throwers from Australia, French Polynesia, and New Zealand,” as reported by the Fiji Times. He emphasized the importance of community leaders guiding and inspiring others to avoid harmful habits like alcohol, smoking, and drugs.
Rabuka, a former soldier and athlete, first became prime minister in 1992 and served until the 1999 election. After a failed attempt to return to power in 2018, Rabuka made a successful comeback as the head of the coalition government following the December 2022 elections, which ended former Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama’s 16-year tenure.