Fiji's 2011 Pacific Games 100 and 200 metres champion will see his partnership with Digicel extended by three years after originally signing on as a brand ambassador in 2010.

"I am honoured to continue with Digicel as its Brand Ambassador and wish to thank them for having confidence in me," says 21-year-old Tabakaucoro, whose personal best for the 100m is 10.33sec.

"Since joining in 2010, I have had a lot of support from Digicel Fiji.

"The opportunities to be a part of many promotional and community activities has been an awesome experience.

"This is a great deal for me as this takes care of most of my expenses and will help me in my training and preparations towards Rio 2016."

"I want to be in Rio and I want to line-up in the 100m final.

"There is a marked increase in the cash payment over the three-year period and I thank Digicel for considering my request and agreeing to this new deal."

Ratu Banuve Tabakaucoro won three gold medals at the 2011 Pacific Games in Nouméa including 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay gold ©Getty Images



The increased sponsorship deal will see Tabakaucoro receive more than $60,000 (£35,620/€43,650)  in cash and kind over the three year period with added cash incentives should he hit the qualifying times for the Olympics and a second bonus following the conclusion of Rio 2016.

"I'm thrilled to learn about this incentive, this means I have to work harder and the incentive adds weight in my bid to achieve the qualifying times for the 100 metres," he added.

Digicel Fiji's head of marketing Sheryl Singh has said the company are "pleased to have Banuve continue as our brand ambassador."

She added: "He is a star athlete and a role model for Fijians and we wish him all the best in his future endeavours."

Tabakaucoro is currently recovering from a leg injury and is expected to return to full swing training soon as he prepares for more competitions overseas, including the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow later in the year.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]