( Wednesday, February 17, 2010 ). The father of judo in Fiji, Viliame Takayawa Snr passed away this morning at his Tamavua home. Takayawa, one of Fiji’s most well known sporting personality and administrator passed away after a short illness.
Takayawa is credited for introducing the sport of Judo to Fiji in the late 1960s. He also founded the Fiji Judo Association.
He went on to become our first judoka to win gold at the 1979 South Pacific Games and, in 1982 was honoured as Fiji Sportsman of the Year. In 1984, Takayawa was selected as Fiji’s flag bearer to the Los Angeles Summer Olympics. He made the country proud when he wore traditional Fijian dress at the Opening Ceremony, Fiji’s first Olympic flag bearer to ever do so.
Takayawa was also a pioneering and successful Fijian businessman with interests in security, properties and a restaurant business.
[Original story published at radiofiji.com.fj: http://www.radiofiji.com.fj/print.php?id=25859]
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