FORMER Sports Minister Jese Saukuru has urged the president of the Fiji Association of Sport and National Olympic Committee to formally engage with the Pacific Games Council in revisiting the decision to host the 2031 Pacific Games in Tonga.
Saukuru made this suggestion in Parliament yesterday as part of a motion moved by the chairperson of the Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Iliesa Vanawalu, to debate the “Review Report on the 2022 Fiji Association of Sport and National Olympic Committee Annual Report”, tabled on November 27, last year.
He had referred to Samoa’s hosting of the Games in 2019 due to Tonga’s inability to do so citing financial concerns as a precedent.
“I respectfully suggest that the president of FASANOC, as Fiji’s representative to the Pacific Games Council, to formally engage with the council, to re-visit the 2031 hosting decision and explore whether Tonga remains in a position to host the games,” Saukuru said.
Cathy Wong is the president of FASANOC who was elected last year.
This was the first of three points he highlighted in the review of FASANOC’s annual report.
Unlocking the potential of Fiji’s sporting talent as a path in which FASANOC promoted institutional sustainability was the second point raised.
His third point focused on sports being a key economic driver globally which could positively affect Fiji in a wide range of sectors.
