Federations told to attend Sports Commission events if they are to get sporting grants.

by sereana salalo

From left: Fiji National Sports Commission executive chairman Peter Mazey and Minister for Youth and Sports Parveen Bala during the Fiji National Sports Commission annual conference at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva on March 7, 2020. Photo: Kelera Sovasiga

Any sporting federations failing to attend Fiji National Sports Commission (FNSC) events will not be given any grants.

Speaking at the Commission annual conference at the Grand Pacific Hotel, Suva, yesterday, Minister for Youth and Sports, Parveen Bala reiterated that all sporting associations should participate in events organised by the Commission in order to be given sporting grants.

“To those organisations who are not participating, I can tell you now they won’t be given any grant,” Bala said after it was mentioned that there were no representatives from Fiji FA at the conference.

The Annual Conference and the Fiji Sports Awards are the two major events organised by the Commission.

Commission executive chairman, Peter Mazey also highlighted that Fiji FA also failed to submit their nominees for the Fiji Sports Awards.

When contacted Fiji Football Association chief executive officer Mohammed Yusuf said they had four officials led by Amitesh Pal registered and were at the conference.

“They came in around 10.30am after the minister spoke,” Yusuf said.

“They probably came a bit late but we were there at the conference.”

Yusuf said they also did not send in their nominations for the Fiji Awards Night because he was away overseas during the nomination period.

It is also understood that Fiji FA executives were not happy when their nomination Roy Krishna was overlooked for the 2018 Fiji Sportsman of the Year Award.

The former Labasa striker was then playing for the Wellington Phoenix in the Australian A- League. He is the first Fijian player to play professional football.

That year, Krishna was the A-League’s top goal scorer and was a recipient of the prestigious Johnny Warren medal, an honour bestowed to the best player in the A-League. Today, Krishna plays for ATK in the Indian Soccer League.

However, Bala assured all sporting organisations that his office was open to them for dialogue if they were facing difficulties in dealing with the sports commission.

Feedback: sereana.salalo@fijisun.com.fj