Merewalesi Kolitapa and Norman Amram have been confirmed as Fiji’s boxing representatives for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal after securing qualification with strong performances at regional and national tournaments over the past two years. The pair will both contest the 60-kilogram division in their respective male and female categories, the latest development for Fiji’s youth boxing programme as it prepares for the Dakar event later this year.
Kolitapa’s berth was built on a steady run of results. She earned silver at the 2024 Junior Oceania championships, established domestic dominance by finishing at the top of her category at the 2025 Fiji Golden Gloves, and followed that up with gold medals at both the Tri Nations and the Pacific Nations Cup. Those podium finishes across regional and national events gave her the points and momentum needed to qualify for the Youth Olympics.
Amram’s selection likewise stems from consistent form at home. He finished at the top of his category in the Fiji Golden Gloves earlier this year — a key national competition that has historically been used to identify and prepare talent for international assignments. That result, coupled with his other performances this season, earned him a place alongside Kolitapa on the Fiji team bound for Senegal.
Both boxers will compete in the 60kg division, a weight class that features separate male and female draws at the Youth Olympics. Their qualification represents a continuation of Fiji’s investment in youth boxing pathways, which rely on domestic showcases such as the Fiji Golden Gloves and regional events like the Junior Oceania championships, Tri Nations and Pacific Nations Cup to expose emerging athletes to higher levels of competition.
This announcement is the latest in Fiji’s lead-up to Dakar and gives boxing fans a first look at some of the nation’s youth hopefuls. For Kolitapa, the Youth Olympics will be an opportunity to build on consecutive years of progress across Oceania and the Pacific; for Amram, it is a chance to translate national success into an international debut on one of the sport’s prominent youth stages.
Details on the rest of Fiji’s delegation to the 2026 Youth Olympics have not been released alongside the boxing confirmations. With both Kolitapa and Amram now qualified, attention will turn to their final preparations and the wider selection process for other sports as Fiji firms up its team for Senegal later this year.