The Reserve Bank of Fiji (RBF) has accorded an enteral honour to ‘Golden Boy’ Iliesa Delana by issuing new 50 cents coins bearing his face and name.
The Bank has issued only 500,000 coins.
At a function held in Suva on September 18 to release the legal tender, RBF Governor Barry Whiteside said that Delana is the first sports person to be featured in coins.
Delana, who lost his left leg during a traffic accident when he was just three years old, has risen to be a national hero. He won a gold medal at the London 2012 Para Olympics, the first person from the region.
“We are delighted to further recognise and share his achievements and we thought to take this to the next level by striking a special coin, a coin that will be used by all Fijians, a coin that will be symbolic of something great, something to inspire us all to strive for the best,” Mr Whiteside said.
Wide usage
“Fifty cent is the largest coin in our existing family and given its size, we strongly felt the designs could be prominently featured without losing any of the details of this historic win. The 50 cent coin is also a widely used coin denomination,” he added.
Delana said that his win should not be his alone, but for every Fijian.
“It is not every day or in one’s lifetime that we get to see one’s achievement recognised on a national scale and that too, on a nation’s currency. I consider myself to be one of those few lucky ones and I will forever be grateful to RBF,” he said.
He called on the younger members of the society, including those with disabilities, to work hard towards their goals.
The obverse design features Fiji’s Coat of Arms while the reverse features Delana in action, winning the gold medal during the F42 High Jump event in London last year.
The obverse and reverse designs complement each other and are reminiscent of the moment the Fijian flag was flown high with pride at the Paralympic Games soon after Delana’s jump with millions of viewers across the globe watching the win.
Photo :
Iliesa Delana points to the new 50 cents coin
