Equal funding for minor and major sports is something that will not be done anytime soon.

During the 2023 Pacific Games, weight-lifting, swimming and va’a called for more investments given that a lot of medals are on offer for such minor individual sports.

Majority of Team Fiji’s medals at the Pacific Games were won from minor sports.

When asked if Fiji can foresee an equal playing field in terms of funding, Minister for Youth and Sports Jese Saukuru said at the moment it was something that could not be done.

“We can’t actually do that right now because when we say rugby, they carry our flagship during international tournaments and that is how we are marketed overseas. So, the performance that they do overseas is how other nations look at us.

“If you travel the world, people know Fiji as a rugby nation, as rugby sevens kings so you can’t actually compare or have the same funding for rugby with other minor sports because we have to look at how we are marketing ourselves too.”

Saukuru said the Government tries its best to be fair to all sports.

“We give assistance to people with disabilities, hockey at the last minute for their World Cup preparation so government is going to assist you in whatever way, there is no two ways about it.

“If you see the national budget, there is an increase in allocation and most of that is going towards supporting every sporting body. The grants that we give the Fiji National Sports Commission goes to wards all sports whether be in minority or major sports.

“We also have some funds with the Prime Minister’s office for minor sports as well. So, its covered and no one in Fiji should be saying that they are not supported by government.”

The Youth and Sports Minister categorised minor sports as those that are new and not played by a lot of people in communities. The ministry was allocated $19.5 million in the 2023-2024 budget.