Athletics Fiji will have to pay $3000 for each athlete who has qualified for the Pacific Mini Games in Palau.
The sport had 200 athletes on its long list which was trimmed to 40.
Thirty-two have made the final selection while eight are on the reserves list.
Team manager Iva Volavola said they were taking a young team this year in line with their vision of providing a pathway and building a future for those athletes.
She said events such as the Pacific Mini Games would help develop those young athletes but the challenge lies in paying the hefty levy for each of these athletes.
“We have a lottery out which has been given by FASANOC which is $2 per card and $30 a book. Each national federation is doing its own fundraising.
“We need to take our young athletes overseas, we need to give them something to look forward to, we need them to start thinking about their pathway in each of their own sports.
“For example, in athletics, where are we looking, where do we want them to end up, where are the other athletes going after school?
“So that’s what we basically want to do, we want to have that pathway so that our athletes know that they can come back here, that this is where we can get something out.
“It starts with if there can be any sponsors to come over to us and assist us. Come see Selwyn Williams, talk to him or the Athletics Fiji secretary to help with our $3k levy that will be much appreciated,” she explained. Volavola said the aim right now was to have their athletes qualify on merit for major international meets like the Olympic Games.
The aim is the 2032 Olympics which is set to be held in Brisbane, Australia.
The Pacific Mini Games is scheduled to take place from June 29 to July 9, 2025.
