Mr Viliame Naupoto
Minister for Youth and Sports

SPEECH AT THE FIJI NATIONAL SPORTS COMMISSION CONFERENCE WITH THE NATIONAL SPORTING ORGANISATIONS

De Vos on the Park
Saturday 22nd March, 2014
SUVA 9:00am


Chairman of the Fiji National Sports Commission
Board Members of the Fiji National Sports Commission
President of FASANOC
Leaders of the Respective Sporting Organizations
Ladies and Gentlemen

INTRODUCTION
• Thank you for the words of welcome this morning and it is my pleasure to welcome each and every one of you on behalf of the Government of Fiji to this conference.

• Thanks for making an effort to be here and it is a great show of commitment we have toward sports development in Fiji for all Fijians.

• This week has been a great week for sports fans, sports man and women and our nation and it also calls for celebration for all. This week, Fiji was welcomed again into the Commonwealth and this means that our athletes can now look forward to participating again in the Commonwealth Games.

• I would also like to wish our Telecom Fiji Warriors well in their 3rd and 4th position playoff tomorrow (Sunday) after losing out on retaining their Pacific Rugby Cup Title for the first time in six years.
• The Fiji Football Association will be having their Awards Night tonight and I wish them well as well.

• Big news for Hockey Fiji Cricket as they will also be travelling overseas for world ranking tournament.

• And I believe everyone will be glued to their TV set from this afternoon watching Japan leg of the IRB Sevens Series and I wish Ben Ryan and his boys the best in Tokyo.

• It is indeed an honour and a great pleasure to be with you this morning to deliver the official remarks at the second NSO conference today. It is only our second conference since the establishment of the Fiji National Sports Commission and I must say that we have grown and have slowly gained confidence in our existence.

• We were faced with many resistance, opposition and challenges from our incubation days to the first few months of our establishment, but thankfully we have stamped our existence based on the strong belief and commitment we have towards sport development in Fiji.

• There is no doubt that we still have to do a lot in forging and building strong relationships between sporting bodies and the Commission – relationships that are based on trust and respect towards one another, towards our stakeholders and most importantly our athletes.

• We have surely grown out of all teething problems we faced earlier and slowly our stakeholders and the nation have gained more trust and confidence in our existence and the work the Commission do.

• With that being said, we should not over rate ourselves and forget the main objective and foundation of our establishment which is universal sports development for all Fijians.

VALUE OF SPORTS IN A NATION
• Sport has been regarded as an agent for Social Change. It has a multiple-effect on any nation or society. Sports are an extremely important part of people’s lives. They provide a space for building social ties and for self-improvement. Exercise has well documented benefits to both physical and mental health. People enjoy sports - they create great fulfilment, which is at least as important as any economic ‘imperatives’. Sports clubs are at the heart of our communities and strong social networks build around them. These are all benefits that need to be available to people.
• 1. Sports diplomacy may transcend cultural differences and bring people together. Politics and sports describe the use of sport as a means to influence diplomatic, social, and political relations. It has been proven over the years that sport has helped bridge the political divide. Sports competitions or activities have had the intention to bring about change in certain cases.

• In international tourneys, our national pride are often mirrored, emotion, unity and discipline. Aside from these effects sporting glory brings, it is also a major tool for instilling civic pride in the young people of our nation.

• 2. There’s strong evidence that taking part in sport improves health, with associated economic benefits. Whatever our age, there is good scientific evidence that being physically active can help us lead healthier lives. Regular physical activity can reduce the risk of many chronic conditions, including coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, cancer, obesity, mental health problems and musculoskeletal conditions.

• Participation in physical activity and sport has been shown to be effective for reducing depression, anxiety, psychological distress and emotional disturbance.

• 3. I must admit that sports as an emerging industry holds great potential of new career paths and professions for our local athletes. If we work harder and persevere we will enhance our international sports events management capabilities, broaden our media landscape, grow new income streams through the application of ICT in all facets & at all levels of sports promotion and development to redefine and consolidate its role in national development.

• This in return will have multiple rippling effects in our nation’s economy. Officials from IRB in 2013 were in Fiji and conduct assessment on our newly refurbished ANZ Stadium and concluded that unless we have the right up-to-date infrastructures in place to meet international broadcasting standards, we will not host an IRB Sevens Series. That calls for an urgent need for development in Fiji to match international standards and we can only anticipate its effect to our economy.

• Over the last three decades, the desire to host major sports events in all corners of the globe has become stronger as cities and nations have balanced the rising costs against the benefits that such events bring. Considerations for an improved image, updated infrastructure and venues, a healthier nation, an increase in sports tourism, positive economic impact and the chance to promote one's nation on the world stage are the reasons why nations and cities are often prepared to spend on an event.


• I believe we are fully aware of these effects and such conference as this should augur well for discussing and projecting visions and strategies sport in Fiji will take and the benefits it will bring not only to the sports women and men, but to the nation as a whole.

• Sport has turned professional so quickly that most of our raw talents are being scouted and leaving our shores in droves. We have noticed that in almost every month a rugby player is mentioned in the media to have secured a contract overseas. These players together with our locals working overseas send money home to their families and Government is thriving on these remittances.

• 4. Sport has character building abilities: (Quote Mereani – F/Times 21/3/14). She is just one of the many individual who have testifies how life-changing participation in sports can do to a person. It nurtures patience, perseverance, resilience and an attitude and desire to constantly do better in life.

• Among many other reasons, sport no doubt has multiple effects to building a better society.

ELISTISM verus PARTICIPATION
• I would love to pose to you this morning some question worth asking before we delve into our discussions later today.

• Is our current structure – organisation and competitions – inclusive enough or is based on recognising only the elite? Are we encouraging maximum participation for all despite their race, gender, age or ability?

• Elitism thrives today in many sporting organisations and countries. It is encouraged by the desire for consistent supremacy, profit and fame and sometimes lacks the visions for sustainability and development.

• There is a traditional elitism in sports that puts attainment and ability above participation, enjoyment and effort. This elitism is exacerbated by the fact that many sports are expensive and capital intensive, which, without the help of subsidies, can lead to exclusion for reasons of class.

• Everyone, no matter the ability, should be encouraged to participate in sport. Each Fijian at any level from childhood to adulthood should be allowed to actively participate in any form of sport and be coached with great patience, so those lacking in natural aptitude could achieve the best as individuals and teams.

• This will finally produce a considerable number of elite level athletes but more importantly it enabled many more to participate in fulfilling individual and team sport. Participation should focus more on recreational and provide a supportive environment as the key to tearing down the barriers to sport.

• A proactive approach is needed to encourage those who might be initially reluctant to get involved, otherwise sport will return to its old exclusivity, open only to the naturally able.

• Most of our current structures in Fiji encouraged elitism in the lowest level of competition such as the Athletics Chow Games for our Primary School students. Even though we are promoting inclusiveness, we are also eliminating some good individuals while the elite ones proceed to the next level of competition.

• Take time to ponder at the Special Olympics – 10 winners always rise to the podium to receive their awards. The 10th person or winner is just as happy as the 1st winner when it comes to celebration. He is also considered and rewarded a winner despite his position or rank in the competition or the event.

• As a developing country with an abundance of raw talents available, I think it is best that we review our current and see if there is a possibility to promote inclusiveness and encourage maximum participation by all Fijians at all levels of competition and in all sports.

• There are many in society who just “play to play” in any given sport and have no desire for recognition. We should encourage such attitude as it encourages wellness and behaviour change among our fellow Fijians.

CONCLUSION
• I hope that your discussion today will be fruitful. Our task and commitment is to forge new development directions for sport in Fiji. Be strategic and don’t hesitate to explore and discuss new avenue for change and development.

• Thanks you all for your time and I wish you all a successful discussion.

Thank you.