FASANOC defends role as sports body faces tough questions in Parliament

Fiji’s Olympic body reaffirmed its commitment to “taking Fiji to the games” and using sports as a force for unity and change, as it faced tough questions before Parliament’s Standing Committee on Social Affairs yesterday.

Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (FASANOC) chief executive officer and secretary-general, Vanessa Kilner told the committee that FASANOC continued to strengthen athlete development and governance across national federations while ensuring Fiji’s consistent presence at major global events.

“Our vision is to inspire Fiji through sports,” Kilner said. “We wanted to use sports as a tool for change and unity.”

Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (FASANOC) chief executive officer and secretary-general, Vanessa Kilner.

Photo: FASANOC

Committee chairperson Iliesa Vanawalu and members questioned how FASANOC managed multiple international affiliations and whether this created confusion for local federations.

Kilner said the affiliations brought benefits, not burdens, by providing structure, governance and funding support.

“These partnerships helped us grow capacity and improve our systems. They ensured Fiji stayed aligned with international standards,” she said.

She also addressed Fiji’s narrow loss in its bid to host the 2031 Pacific Games, revealing that the bid had been rated “low risk” and met all requirements but lost by just two votes.

“It was a close result, but we’ll keep improving and come back stronger next time,” she said.

The committee further raised concerns about the participation of lesser-known sports in regional competitions. Kilner clarified that national federations were autonomous in managing their athletes.

“Our role was not to micromanage, but to take the best-qualified athletes who came through proper national processes,” she said.

FASANOC also outlined its 10-year strategic plan, which focused on athlete development, stronger governance and financial sustainability.

Kilner said Government support remained vital in preparing Team Fiji for major international events such as the Olympic, Commonwealth and Pacific Games.

“Every win on the global stage brought pride back to Fiji,” she said. “We were building not just athletes, but a stronger, united nation.”

FASANOC was expected to next lead Team Fiji to the 2026 Commonwealth Games as preparations got underway.