Meli Laddpeter 
Meli Romuakalou Junior
Former Fiji Finals champion and Pacific Games silver medalist Meli Romuakalou Junior will be making his comeback to the tracks as he looks to book a spot in the national side for the Pacific Mini Games in June.
After taking a break from athletics two years ago, the former Suva Grammar School student has been longing to run out for Fiji once again.
In the 2018 Fiji Finals, Junior won gold for SGS in the junior boys 200m and 400m events, before helping their 4×400 side win another gold medal.
He also holds the record in the 400m junior boys event in the Fiji Finals that year, with a time of 50.4 seconds.
Looking to the Mini Games in Palau, he says preparations have been tough, but he is determined to make the national side.
“It’s quite hard, prep for Mini Games, after high school I came over to represent the country even though I was still in high school. After that I took a break from athletics for about two years but now I’m back and I’m happy to be back.”
In 2019, he won silver in the 4x400m event at the Pacific Games in Samoa.
He helped Fiji’s 4x400m side win bronze at the 2022 Oceania Championships before winning gold in the 4x100m event.
Junior says he had to take a break from athletics after suffering a few injuries, but he is back and ready to stamp his mark on the tracks once again.
The 2025 Pacific Mini Games will be held in Palau from June 29th to July 9th.
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