Swim Parent Rev Bhagwan Shares Challenges
Concerned swimming parent Reverend James Bhagwan emphasised on the need for proper funding to help the sport grow.
Rev Bhagwan shared his experiences at the 2019 Annual National Sports Organisation Forum at the Grand Pacific Hotel yesterday.
“I am a swimming parent for over 7 years and two of my children are participating in this sport,” he said.
“So as parents we are trying our best to fulfilling the responsibility of making sure our kids get onto training at 5:30am and have five training sessions per week which is normally followed by most clubs.
“As a parent we have to be mindful of the funding and cost factors as far as their participation is concerned.
“They have Grand Prix throughout the year either through club or national level and that is a challenge for us.
“These swimming clubs have their individual programmes and funding is required and then going down to the swimmers itself it may not be the elite swimmers but the future of swimming in Fiji. And in addition to that they have attached costs to it such as the coaching fees, pool fees, competition fees and getting the right swimming togs.
“This year, just because it is a Pacific Games year, we have 10 competitions plus few other Grand Prix for qualifying will be hosted for the swimmers to compete.
“Around 400 registered swimmers at the competition level but total of swimmers at club level are about 500 and if you take in account the swimmers at school level we have about 900 swimmers.
“As well as expenses incurred when competing in an international event for instance where in most cases there is no funding provided. These are some of challenges swimming parents face and despite all that swimming not just a rich persons sport.
“We have a very small pool of fundraising and that is through cake stalls, movie nights and dinners.”
Edited by Leone Cabenatabua
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