Port Vila, Vanuatu, December 8, 2017 – Fiji underlined their Oceania Commonwealth Games Beach Volleyball title credentials after sweeping both men’s and women’s titles at the newly-purpose-built Korman Beach Volleyball Centre here on Friday.

With the final victory in the men’s event on Friday, Fiji booked a berth for the 2018 Commonwealth Games beach volleyball competition in Australia next April. However, despite the Fiji’s final win in the women’s event, Vanuatu have already qualified for the Commonwealth Games as a result of their impressive performances on the FIVB World Tour.

Fijians Nima/Ratudina have won all four of their matches in the round-robin preliminaries earlier, regarded as the most dominant team in the women’s competition. Nima/Ratudina advanced to the final showdown against Solomon Islands’ Gwali/U’Una, who brushed off Kiribati’s Taakam/Batio 21-12 21-9 in their last round-robin match on Friday.

In the final encounter, Nima/Ratudina from Fiji still proved to be the best in the three-day tournament, downing Gwali/U’Una in straight sets 21-19 21-19 to capture the women’s title.

In the men’s event, Fijians Korowale/Elliot showed no mercy to Kefu/Nuopule to crush the Solomon Islands pairing 21-11 21-17, with Papua New Guinea’s Mea/Kilarupa struggling to beat Vanuatu’s Chilia/Aru 21-6 15-21 15-11 in the semi-finals.

The men’s showdown saw Korowale/Elliot play a tough match against formidable Mea/Kilarupa before cruising past the Papua New Guinea duo in hard-fought three sets 21-18 18-21 15-8. Solomon Islands’ Kefu/Nuope claimed the bronze medal after producing a comeback 2-1 (25-27 21-17 15-13) victory over Vanuatu’s Chilia/Aru in the third-place playoff.

At the end of the Oceania Qualifiers on Friday, Korowale/Elliot reigned supreme in the men’s event and gave Fiji a berth to compete at the next April’s Commonwealth Games in Australia, while Nima/Ratudina won the women’s title for Fiji, but high-profile Vanuatu have already qualified for the next year’s Games.

FINAL-DAY RESULTS
WOMEN
ROUND-ROBIN MATCHES: Bae/Walo (Papua New Guinea) b Peter/Taimanuga (Tuvalu) 2-0 (21-9 23-21); Gwali/U’Una (Solomon Islands) b Taakam/Batio (Kiribati) 2-0 (21-12 21-9)

MEN
SEMI-FINALS: Korowale/Eliot (Fiji) b Kefu/Nuopule (Solomon Islands) 2-0 (21-11 21-17); Mea/Kilarupa (Papua New Guinea) b Chilia/Aru (Vanuatu) 2-1 (21-6 15-21 15-11)

THIRD-PLACE: Kefu/Nuope (Solomon Islands) b Chilia/Aru (Vanuatu) 2-1 (25-27 21-17 15-13)

FINALS
Men: Korawale/Elliot (Fiji) b Mea Kilarupa (Papua New Guinea) 2-1 (21-18 18-21 15-8)
Women: Nima/Ratudina (Fiji) b Gwali/U’Una (Solomon Islands) 2-0 (21-19 21-19);

FINAL STANDINGS
MEN
1. Korawale/Elliot (Fiji)
2. Mea/Kilarupa (Papua New Guinea)
3. Kefu/Nuopule (Solomon Islands)
4. Chilia/Aru (Vanuatu)
5. B. Heath/D. Heath (Cook Islands) and Ata/Saaga (Tuvalua)
7. Anro/Manuera (Kiribati)

WOMEN
1. Nima/Ratudina (Fiji)
2. Gwali/U’Una (Solomon Islands)
3. Bae/Walo (Papua New Guinea)
4. Peter/Taimanuga (Tuvalu)
5. Taakam/Balio (Kiribati)

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