Good news for soccer fans as FIFA will be financing a high performance centre and a 15,000 seat stadium in Lomolomo near Lautoka.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Professor Biman Prasad says for its part, the coalition government stands ready to support such developments because they strongly believe that sports plays a key role in a nation’s progress and football and rugby are two sports that are in pole position to give our nation glory and fame.
Prof. Prasad stated this at the Fiji Football Academy while welcoming FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, adding the coalition government is pleased to note that FIFA is supporting plans for the development of a multi-million dollar state of the art facility to be completed in 3 phases.
He says this will include the development of a high performance centre, which in our view can be used by our talents graduating out of the football academies.
The Deputy Prime Minister says it will also involve the development of an artificial pitch and a state of the art 15,000 seat stadium at Lomolomo between Lautoka and Nadi.
He says FIFA’s support and financial commitment towards development and implementation of projects is indeed laudable.
Prof. Prasad says what we need to do both as football administrators and as a nation is not to keep shifting the goalposts but to set our sights firmly on taking football to greater heights.
He adds only then will we be able to achieve equality and unity through football and contribute positively towards making Fiji a land of hope and opportunity.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino says Fiji is number one not only because it is his first visit to Fiji, but because Fiji Football Association was the first Association out of the 211 in the world who sent him a support letter for his candidature as FIFA President in the last elections.
Infantino says FIFA has been embarking on a lot of changes in good governance, transparency, compliance and thanks to that they can invest in the development of the game which they are doing all over the world.
He says this why they are investing in the high performance centre and 15,000 seat stadium in Fiji.
