A very happy and proud owner of the winning canoe-Kele Queen, Alu Ila gave credit back to his hardworking crew.
The crew of brothers, Pua Pokana, Lucas Pokana and uncle Vali Ila from Viriolo village led Kele Queen to winning the inaugural Kila Haoda Cup yesterday.
The team picked up K2, 000 in prize money.
“They manoeuvred well in rough weather and stuck it out all the way to the end to win. I’m very happy and proud of them. All credit to them for training hard and preparing for this day,” said Ila.
He added that this was Kele Queen’s first win in the Keleone Canoe Racing Syndicate after four years.
“We take part yearly but haven’t had a win in a long time. So we’re really happy with the win,” said Ila.
He finished by thanking Central Governor, Kila Haoda and the Keleone Canoe Racing Syndicate.