Recreation & Sports

Sport, with its intrinsic values, plays an important role in nation building programme. It provides lucrative employment opportunities and promotes Fiji as a tourist destination. Fiji is gaining an increasing reputation for hosting a range of sporting events. Fiji has proved its resilience with the hosting of what is being called the biggest and the best South Pacific Games ever. The 12th SPG games were held from June 28-July 14, 2003 and altogether 22 Island countries participated. With the financial support of the Government of the People's Republic of China who spent $25 million on the development of sporting facilities and a contribution by the Fiji Government of $17 million for the upgrading of sporting facilities, the event presented the largest and most complex organisational challenge. With the untiring efforts of Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (FASANOC), the SPG organising committee, government and the Suva City Council, the games provided an ideal opportunity to re-build the country and to promote the spirit of multiculturalism, of togetherness and working for a common goal.

The games have seen the development of new facilities namely the Multi-purpose Hall which has the potential to seat up to 4000 spectators and houses three competition size basketball courts with sprung timber flooring identical to that used for the Sydney Olympics. The National Aquatic Centre features a 50 meter competition pool and a 25 meter warm up pool, fully lit at night training and the National Hockey Centre has the facility to seat up to 500 spectators and features a water base synthetic pitch, which is the finest playing surface available. The new facilities also include a netball centre, beach volleyball centre and baseball grounds. The Fiji Sports Council was established by an Act of parliament in 1978 to promote and develop sport in Fiji. It is currently the main sporting body.
 

Source (Fiji Today 2005/2006:Supplied by Ministry of Information)