Fiji Sports benefit from Australian grants
17 September 2009
Three sports organisations in Fiji have been awarded Australian government grants to assist them train more local coaches and expand participation in their respective sports to schools around the country.
The grants, totaling close to A$17,5000 (F$30,000), have been awarded to Cricket Fiji, Fiji Basketball and Fiji Swimming as part of the Australian Sports Outreach Program (ASOP).
The Australian Sports Outreach Program focuses on increasing community participation in sport and physical activity in the Pacific. Each year, sports organisations in Pacific Island countries are invited to apply for grants up to A$10,000 for individual sports development projects.
In the latest round of funding, Cricket Fiji has been given a grant of A$7000 (F$11,621) to take the sport to schools around the country with the aim of increasing the participation of children and increasing the number of teachers who will take on coaching roles. The funds will also assist Cricket Fiji’s efforts to increase the number of schools participating in its Primary Schools Cricket Program.
Fiji Basketball’s grant of A$5123 (F$8,510) will enable the organization to train more local coaches while at the same time expanding the game at the primary school level. Fiji Basketball aims to increase awareness of the game so that it provides an alternative choice to traditional sports in the country.
Fiji Swimming will use its grant of A$5342 (F$8,868) to further develop the knowledge and skills of existing coaches while, at the same time, training more locals to become accredited coaches.
Last year, the Labasa community gymnasium installed new exercise equipment through an ASOP grant while Athletics Fiji was able to conduct training camps aimed at educating athletes about nutrition, basic training principles and the development of meaningful and successful competition structures.
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