Stan Donga grabs 3 Bronze medals in 67kg amid tough rivalry
By Lynton A. Filia
The weightlifting showdown among Solomon Islands, Nauru, and Samoa showcased incredible athleticism, although Solomon Islands experienced a challenging outcome.
Stan Donga displayed impressive strength in his matches against Samoa, Northern Marianas and Nauru, lifting a commendable 133 KG in Clean & Jerk and 105 Snatch. Despite their strong efforts, securing a victory remained elusive for them.
He notably achieved three bronze medals in the fiercely contested 67kg division, marking a commendable achievement amid tough competition.
In an exciting turn of events, Vaipava Nevo Ioane from Samoa emerged triumphant with the Gold medal, overshadowing Ika Ditto from Nauru’s achievement of securing the Silver.
In this division, Donga competed against Samoa’s esteemed weightlifting champion, Vaipava Nevo Ioane.
Mr. Ioane delivered an exceptional performance, asserting his dominance in the men’s weightlifting category with an impressive 166 KG Clean & Jerk and a 120 KG snatch, setting a new record within the Oceania Weightlifting Federation.
Ioane, a former Samoan weightlifting sensation, made a return to represent Samoa in this 17th Pacific Games edition.
His renowned career includes competing in the men’s 62 kg event at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, where he earned a well-deserved bronze medal. He also represented Samoa in the 2016 Summer Olympics.
At the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, he secured a silver medal in the 67kg class, marking an impressive conclusion to his career as he retired following these games. –Ends//