Commonwealth Games 2014: Niue hopes to make mountain bike debut

After spending a year and a half building a bar with rocks he found on the coast, he has become one of the leading entrepreneurs on the island with a chicken farm and a café amongst his portfolio of businesses.

He now hopes to make his mark on the sporting scene.

Niue was first represented at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester 11 years ago and has taken part in the athletics, boxing, lawn bowls, rugby sevens, shooting, weightlifting and wrestling competitions so far without winning a medal.

Saniteli is now playing his part to put another sport on that list – mountain biking.

He was involved in the Queen’s Baton Relay celebrations as the baton arrived in Niue.

The baton, which carries a message from the Queen and is a symbol of the shared values of the Commonwealth, is currently travelling around the 70 nations and territories that make up the organisation.

It will then play a pivotal role at the opening ceremony of the Games in Glasgow.

Saniteli’s inspiration to have Niue’s inaugural competitor in the saddle follows a competition called Rally of the Rock, a mountain bike race on the island that was started in a bid to encourage tourism.

As a former rider and organiser of the event, Saniteli has recently recruited a small group of riders to train for Glasgow.

The Niue Olympic Committee, who are in charge of the island’s participation at the Commonwealth Games, said it will send 26 athletes to Glasgow next year.

As well as mountain biking, they will compete in athletics, clay shooting, lawn bowls and weightlifting.

Saniteli said: “Mountain biking in Niue has started to grow in the last three or four years. Rally of the Rock has started to attract a lot of people over here and has got a few young people interested in it.