Fiji Takes 70 To Commonwealth Games
Fiji will be taking a contingent of 70 athletes and officials to Birmingham for the 2022 Commonwealth Games scheduled for July 28 to August 8 this year.
Fiji Amateur Sports Association National Olympic Committee chief executive officer Lorraine Mar said the biggest number will be the rugby sevens with 26 players.
“That will be 13 from each sevens team – the women’s and men’s,” Mar said on Tuesday.
“It is quite a big team travelling to Birmingham this time around,” she said.
Fiji will be taking part in rugby sevens, bowls. Swimming, table tennis, athletics, judo, boxing and triathlon
FASANOC was given a $500,000 grant by Government last year for preparations and participation in the Birmingham Games.
“Government had said this was for preparation and participation.
“Normally they would give the grants to the federation but this time they gave us the money at our discretion on how we want to use it for participation and preparation.
“What we have done is put half on it on preparations and half on participation, to that for preparations funding we have added our own resources and then allocated money to participating national federations.
“Our budget is close to $1million taking into account travel and training camps we would be spending more than 10 days at the Games village which is substantial.”
Mar said the Fijian contingent will leave for Birmingham in July.
Meanwhile FASANOC is yet to meet with the new Fiji 7s men head coach Ben Gollings to discuss the sevens sides’ travel plans to the Commonwealth Games.
“The Fiji sevens men’s team have a new head coach, we haven’t met him yet to discuss travel plans,” she said.
“For the Tokyo Olympics last year, they (sevens team) went to Australia first then joined (us) the Fijian contingent later in Tokyo, that might happen I don’t know.
“Everything we did last year was all mapped out well before we left for Tokyo.
“All comes down to good planning and communications.
“That is why it is important that we sit and discuss to set the plan right so that travelling and transition is smooth for the trip to Birmingham.”
Feedback: simione.haravanua@fijisun.com.fj
