THE Olympic Day celebrations have provided a platform for Fiji’s lesser-known sports to inspire the next generation of athletes.
The annual event was held at Albert Park in Suva on Saturday.
Speaking to Times Sport, FASANOC chief executive officer Vanessa Kilner said the annual event brought together 10 national sporting federations, giving members of the public the chance to try a variety of Olympic sports.
The day began with a fitness boot camp led by the Australian Defence Force before participants enjoyed a healthy breakfast of Weet-Bix and fresh fruit, followed by opportunities to try sports including gymnastics, baseball, flag football, taekwondo, judo, archery, volleyball, para-shotput, badminton and hockey.
Kilner said the event was particularly important in a country where rugby dominates the sporting landscape.
“Being a rugby nation, it’s important to showcase our minor sports,” she said.
“Many of these sports have actually been to the Olympic Games, so today creates awareness and encourages people to come down and have a go.”
This year’s Olympic Day theme, “Let’s Move – You Can Do This,” was designed to encourage people of all ages and abilities to become active without fear of failure.
“A lot of people think, ‘I don’t know if I’m going to fail’ or ‘I’m not good enough’. The message is simple – you can do this,” Kilner said.
She said the participating national federations were at the heart of grassroots development, using the event as a pathway to attract new participants into their clubs.
Kilner also acknowledged the support of several organisations that helped stage the event, including the Australian High Commission, the Australian Defence Force, Legends Sportswear, CJ Patel and the United States Embassy.
She said the American Embassy’s involvement was also helping promote flag football and baseball while building excitement towards the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
Although the next Olympics are still two years away, Kilner said Fiji’s elite athletes were already on the pathway.
“The next Olympics are in Los Angeles in 2028. This year we have the Commonwealth Games, then next year the Pacific Games, and it’s all part of that four-year journey that culminates in the Olympic Games,” she said.
She said the Olympic Day was also about inspiring more Fijians to embrace sportand the dream of one day representing the nation on the world’s biggest sporting stage.
