By Duncan Mackay

Vidya Lakhan head and shouldersMarch 15 - Vidya Lakhan is set to be replaced by Reg Sanday as President of the Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (FASANOC) after deciding to step down following eight years in the role. 


Lakhan's long reign will officially end at the FASANOC annual meeting in Suva on March 27.

Sanday, President of the Fiji Amateur Bodybuilding Association and the vice-president of FASANOC since 2010, will be unopposed after Robin Mitchell declined the nomination because of other commitments.

Mitchell is the country's International Olympic Committee (IOC) member and the President of the Oceania National Olympic Committees.

"I was in a meeting in Sydney and there was communication on emails and online so my name was put down to meet the deadline," said Mitchell, President of FASANOC between 1997 and 2005 before allowing Lakhan to take over. 

"When I came back, I declined the nomination because there is no way you can do it.

"It's a big job and you have to have time to do that."

Lakhan (pictured top) will end his 33 year association with FASANOC when his reign as President ends, having joined the organisation as treasurer in 1980.

"When I look at it I feel very satisfied in what FASANOC has been able to achieve in those years," he said.

"When I was given the assets of FASANOC it was in two beer cartons and that's all FASANOC had in 1980.

"So I think we've come a long way but there is still a long way to go."

Josateki Naulu carrying Fiji flag at London 2012Josateki Naulu carried Fiji's flag at the Opening Ceremony of London 2012

Fiji made its Olympic debut at Melbourne in 1956 but are still waiting to win their first medal.

At London 2012 they sent a team of nine athletes, six men and three women, who competed in six sports.

Their most successful athlete was weightlifter Maria Liku, who finished eighth in the -63 kilogram class. 

But their hopes of winning that first medal will be greatly boosted at Rio 2016 when rugby sevens makes  its debut on the programme. 

Their team is one of the most popular and successful teams in the world and has won the Hong Kong Sevens a record nine times since its inception in 1976.

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