IOC outlines opportunities for Fiji athletes
Stephens Desbans outlines programmes offering scholarships, youth development and team support through Olympic Solidarity.
Thursday 22 October 2026 | 04:00
From left: FASANOC vice-presidents Della Shaw- Elder, Inoke Niubalavu, Cathy Wong, Stephens Desbans, ONOC president Baklai Tenengil and FASANOC committee Dr Robbin Mitchell with athletes at Olympic House, Suva, on October 21, 2026.
Photo: Tevita Wesele
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has highlighted funding and development opportunities for Fiji athletes, including programmes supporting young talent, scholarships and team preparation to strengthen sport across the Pacific.
Speaking during an informal talanoa session hosted by the Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (FASANOC) yesterday, IOC head of sport development unit Stephens Desbans said athletes could benefit from programmes designed to support their development and sporting ambitions.
“It’s really an honour to be here and sharing views with other athletes, to help the sport grow,” Desbans said.
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She said Olympic Solidarity provided about 20 programmes through National Olympic Committees, covering areas such as Olympic values, sports management, youth athlete development, scholarships and team support grants.
Desbans also highlighted the role of the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) in providing sports equipment, human resources grants and support for national and regional Games.
With the Pacific Games approaching, she said athletes should recognise the value of continental competition as part of their sporting journey, even if reaching the Olympic Games was not every athlete’s ultimate destination.
FASANOC president Cathy Wong said athletes remained at the centre of the organisation’s work.
“The key focus of what we do must be about our athletes. Athletes remain at the centre of everything that we do. A high-performing athlete requires a high-performing support system, high-performance framework, high-performance entourage,” Wong said.
“So working within that space, not only in Fiji, but with our Oceania family, with president Baklai sitting here, as we're having the meeting this week — that is working in that space to identify what are our gaps. We have lots of gaps.”
ONOC president Baklai Tenegil highlighted the wider impact of sport on Pacific communities, saying it provided opportunities for people to travel, learn and bring new experiences back to their communities.
“But sports allow the opportunity to enable us to travel, to learn about different things around the world through sports that we learn as young athletes, but also coaches, families, and friends, and then bring back home to your communities,” Tenegil said.
He also recognised the commitment of coaches, saying they played a vital role in supporting athletes.
