The islanders dominated the fruit-bearing races

Tahiti, July 14, 2022 – Fruit bearer races were held on Thursday afternoon at Paofai Gardens. They were marked by the return of the athletes from the islands who came in large numbers and performed well.

Success was the meet, on Thursday afternoon, for the fruit bearer races that took place in Paofai Gardens. The audience and the athletes present responded. No fewer than 280 people presented themselves at the starting line for the seven races, according to the head of the Federation of Sports and Traditional Games, Enoch Laughlin.

This year was marked by the strong return of competitors from the islands, who were unable to participate in the past two years due to Covid. Even if they should have been more numerous if the Bulge hadn’t invited itself to the party by flooding some runways on the Tuamotu Islands or by stopping the Apetahi Express which was to bring a large delegation of Taha’a, Bora Bora, and Huahine. The islanders who largely dominated the races. “There are notable monsters, especially from Rimatara and Roroto, because the sport comes from there. There are really good performances,” Underlined by Enoch Laughlin at the end of the races. It is also the athlete from Rimatara, Ruano Hatito, who won the first Ito class in the 50kg category.

The event also managed to count on the presence of many athletes from Hawaii, Samoa, California and New Zealand. New Zealander Tania Raharoy won the under-35 Fahen race.

The festivities ended with a dance performance by Tamariki Poerani, followed by the New Zealand band Ngati Whakaue. The next meeting of the Tū’aro Mā’ohi, on Saturday and Sunday, in the Vairai Garden is coconut shelling, stone lifting, coconut tree climbing, javelin throwing and traditional wrestling.