Toua sends inspirational message to Morea Baru ahead of Olympic Games

Veteran Olympian Dika Toua delivered an inspiring message to Morea Baru, who will be representing the country in the code of weightlifting at the Olympic Games in Paris.

The Oceania weightlifting queen fell short by a kilo in the final qualification event in Thailand, which saw her opponent Rosina Randafiarison of Madagascar book the coveted spot for the Olympics.

Regardless, Toua is happy to see her weightlifting partner Morea Baru take on the stage in the men’s 61kg division and bid him a good luck message as he prepares for his third Olympics.  

“I’am so proud of everyone who has done tremendously well, especially Morea Baru, who has carried the code up to that level,” the female weightlifting champ said. 

“Being a training partner, a colleague, a cousin, it's a journey where nobody understands the pain, the sacrifices, the sleepless nights, the tears that we go through. Nobody knows that, unless you are part of the team.

“So, I'm really grateful for Morea making it up to his third Olympic Games, and I just wish him all the best.”

Toua was aiming to make history by becoming the first women in weightlifting to attend six Olympics after her fifth event in the Tokyo Games in Japan in 2020.

Despite missing out in this year's Olympics by 1 kilo [171kg] in the 49kg division to Randafiarison [172kg] in the International Weightlifting Federation [IWF] World Cup, Toua remains positive for future events.

“As an athlete you expect things to happen with the competition results. I'm grateful that I made it this far. Missing out with only just one kilo, that speaks volumes,” the Hanuabada native said.

“Also, at my age, I knew I was going to qualify. But then, like I always say, we may make all our plans, but God has the last say.”

The golden girl said her focus now is set on upcoming tournaments particularly the 2025 Pacific Mini Games and Commonwealth Championships.

Aside from her commitment as an elite athlete, Toua recently completed a training hosted by IWF and Oceania Weightlifting as part of her transition from an athlete to a fulltime official.  

“This particular course, IWF Level 1 Coaching and Level 1 Technical Official, has opened another window, or another door for me, and to be part of it with the other 12 participants, it was a great thing,” the veteran PNG athlete said.

Meanwhile, Baru is currently in Rome, Italy, for the final phase of preparations prior to the games in Paris which is planned to start on July 26.