Women participation in sports in Fiji has received a major boost today as the Australian government has recommitted to their aim for support through their Pacific Sports Development Program-Team Up Programme by giving training gear and equipment to 6 national sporting bodies.
These 6 sporting bodies include Fiji Rugby Union, Fiji National Rugby League, Fiji Football Association, Basketball Fiji, Cricket Fiji and Fiji Table Tennis.
Minister for Sports, Parveen Bala says FNRL through its Australian counterpart have implemented the Voice Against Violence program which educates rugby league participants and communities on domestic issues and individual roles to stop violence.
He says this has contributed to the increase in women and girls participation in the sport and the support on sponsorship for their community competition.
Bala says the Get into Rugby program has seen the growth of women and girls participation in Rugby Union and hrough this program, athletes, officials, and fans are not only taught the laws of the game but also given training on values and principles to abide by on and off the field.
Fiji Football Association CEO, Mohammed Yusuf says women’s soccer is what it is today because of this initiative.
He says the Just Play programme has made a lot of difference as they have been able to reach out to young female footballers in the villages and some of them are playing for the national team.
Yusuf adds Team Up has given them opportunity to reach out to children in rural areas where they have been given equipment so that they can take up playing soccer.
Meanwhile, FNRL Acting CEO Don Natabe says they have been able to reach schools in the North and now aims to establish club for competition.
He says through this program’s push to increase women’s participation in league rugby,the national team was able to participate internationally where our 10th ranked team has been able to beat a top 3 ranked team.
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