The organisers of the Outerknown 2017 Fiji Pro Women Championship have been praised for bringing the annual event once again to our shores.

Speaking during the official opening of the event at Tavarua Island Resort yesterday, Permanent Secretary for Youth and Sports, Alison Burchell thanked the World Surfing League

The event is the 5th stop on the World Surfing League’s 10-stop Championship Tour, which features the world’s 17 leading female surfers.

“It’s great to be here at the World Surfing League, I remember this time last year there was a different vibe,” Burchell said.

“Sport is not a matter of life and death it’s much more important than that. So we have to say that rolling back climate change is not a matter with life and death, it is much more important than that, but it makes it so much easier when everyone joins the battle.”

She acknowledged that the role Tavarua is playing together with the Ministry of Fisheries in trying to make sure that the environment is safe.

“When I come here I get a sense of a different paradise. It has been very gratifying that there has been an increase in numbers with people putting their shoulder to the wheel to try and make sure that we take care of our environment. So with that we are seeing an increasing amount of support and we hope that every individual will continue their contributions for our valuable island.”

Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (FASANOC) vice-president, Cathy Wong is impressed with how the tournament is set-up.

“Obviously this is very professionally done and these guys have been doing it for the past few years. The way it’s done is really perfect and to do this it’s really fantastic,” she said.

Wong added, “from my side what I would like to see is some local people connected with them so that we can have some of the experience to perform at that level but at least it gives us insight into what’s’ required and what’s expected and a lot of people can up skill to that level.”

Meanwhile, the men’s event runs from June 3–19 and features a local wild card, Tevita Gukilau, who won the recent Fiji Surfing Association trials.