Thirteen participants represented five National Federations for a four-day course from athletics, boxing, judo, rugby and touch rugby.

It was conducted by the Oceania Sports Education Programme (OSEP), who ran their Community Strength and Conditioning course.

OSEP facilitator and educator Jone Koroi said the course covered three modules - long term athlete development, functional movement screening and anatomical adaptation - with the event held at the Fiji Rugby Union High Performance Unit Gymnasium.

Koroi said that the aim was to take pressure off the coaches.

"Usually most professional teams have a strength and conditioning coach whose role is to help prepare athletes physically," he said.

"This course allows us to assist coaches or strength and conditioning coaches to better prepare their athletes.

The course is updated when techniques and regulations change, as they are set to do in rugby.

Koroi added: "The participants took part in the demonstration of the anatomical adaptation exercises and were introduced to the energy system.

"At the end of the course, participants were made aware of the interlink between anatomical adaptation exercises, muscle strengthening and stretching and demands and speed."

Fiji Judo Association's Keresi Farouk expressed that she had learned a lot in the course.

She said: "Right now, the Fiji Judo Association has identified and targeted athletes who have shown potential and interest in the sport.

"With this strength and conditioning course we now have the tools and knowledge to train them better.

"Some of the things I've learnt, I've taken for granted but after the OSEP educators highlighted how things are done in a certain way we can help an athlete perform just a little better."

Boxing Fiji's Viliame Vitukalulu added that in a sport where conditioning is a priority he also learned a lot.

"Boxing is a sport where the conditioning and strength of an athlete is a top priority for us coaches and this course has challenged us a lot," he said.

"I'm grateful that I was a part of this course because I have learnt new techniques and also the importance of always learning something new."