Fiji Swimming Secures Funding
While many sporting federations are faced with financial constraints during this coronavirus pandemic, Fiji Swimming has already set aside their budget towards their Olympic Games preparations.
Fiji Swimming president, Ben Rova says the funding would enable them to sustain the federation while they wait for the coronavirus pandemic to pass.
“Aside from FIji National Sports Commission and FASANOC, Fiji Swimming has been working on its own effort to provide for their swimmers,” he said yesterday.
“Sponsors are still being approached when we had this Covid-19 pandemic. That impacted our ability to secure sponsorship deals, especially after we did well at the Pacific Games and won a number of awards including the Good Governance award at this year’s Fiji Sports awards.
“Fiji Swimming had set aside $22,000 to assist our local swimmers and their coaches plus, we had funding of $33,333 given by FNSC which Fiji Swimming was going to use once we had selected our final team.”
Rova said sponsorship has ceased for most sporting bodies but Fiji
Swimming is hopeful to secure naming rights for all their competitions once this pandemic is over. They have been in contact with a few companies that are willing to be sponsors.
“Our goal is to secure a number of sponsors that covers the main Fiji Swimming naming rights sponsor, our competitions for the year, our squad from juniors right to our Elite Platinum squads and our community and schools’ Learn to Swim Programme.
“We have companies who have expressed their desire and interest to work with us and we hope to pick up the momentum once we overcome this Covid-19 pandemic.
“Aside from these funds, FASANOC is working on providing assistance and had already provided some towards our IOC Scholarship recipients.”
Rova said they have five swimmers on $10,000 scholarship funding to assist their preparations plus two on International Olympic Committee and one on FINA (World Swimming Body) scholarships.
Fiji Swimmers are vying for two spots for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games which will be held from July 23 to August 8, 2021.