Athletes must hold a passport of the country they represent in the Pacific Games, Olympics and the Commonwealth Games

Athletes who wish to participate in the Pacific Games, Olympic Games and the Commonwealth Games must hold a passport of the country they represent.

This was highlighted by the Pacific Games Council President, Vidhya Lakhan after refuting and clarifying what the Minister for Sports, Jese Saukuru stated in his article which was published by the Fiji Broadcasting Cooperation media.

Lakhan says the Minister was misled, ill-advised and ill-informed while stating that anyone with links to Fiji can represent the country in sporting activities without a Fijian passport.

He also blames the advisors and the persons who wrote the Minister's speech for providing wrong information.

He adds that in addition to the passport requirements, there are also other eligibility criteria that athletes must meet that vary to some extent from game to game.

The Pacific Games Council President also warns Fijian athletes to avoid being carried away by the Minister's statement if they want to take part in the forthcoming Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands in November.

Lakhan says they have had a discussion with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Sports and are also making plans to discuss with the Minister for Sports, Sports Council and the Fiji Sports Commission the intention of the issue at hand.

The 18th Pacific Games will be held in the Solomon Islands from the 19th of November to the 2nd of December.