The Commonwealth has stopped short of suspending Fiji at a meeting in London today, but has reaffirmed the ultimatum that they could be suspended unless new elections are held.

 

 

After almost seven hours of talks, a Commonwealth Ministerial group issued a communique that threatened the South Pacific islandwith full suspension from all parts of the Commonwealth.

Fiji, which gained independence from Britain in 1970 and occupies an archipelago of about 322 islands, is already suspended from the Councils of the Commonwealth.
 

The Ministers have given Fiji a deadline of September 1 to commit to elections in October 2010.

 

The Commonwealth Games are due to start on October 3 2010.

The elected Government in Fiji was overthrown by the military in December 2006.

 

It was the fourth coup there since 1987.

Full suspension from the Commonwealth would mean athletes from the tiny country, which has a population of under a million, would not be able to compete Delhi.

 

Fiji made their debut in the Commonwealth Games - then called the Empire Games -  at Sydney in 1938.

 

They returned in 1950, when the Games resumed after World War Two in Auckland, to win one gold, two silver and two bronze medals.

 

The gold was won by Mataika Tuicakau in the shot.

 

Fiji had to wait another 32 years until they won their next gold medal, boxer Fine Sani claiming victory in light heavyweight category at the Games in Brisbane.

 

They missed the 1990 and 1994 Games in Auckland and Victoria respectively because they were suspended because of the earlier military coups.

 

They returned to the Games in Kuala Lumpar in 1998, winning a silver in the inaugural rugby sevens tournament.

 

They also finished runners-up in the rugby in Manchester four years later.

 

But the Fijian hero of those Games was Nacanieli Qerewaqa, who won the gold medal in the men's 100kg category.

 

At the last Games in Melbourne in 2006 their only medal came again in the rugby sevens, when they won the bronze.

 

Their rugby team would again be among the favourites for a medal in Delhi after winning the prestigious Hong Kong Rugby Sevens in March.