Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee president Cathy Wong.

Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee president Cathy Wong has delivered a clear message to all sporting federations that four years is ample time to prepare athletes for the upcoming Mini Pacific Games and the responsibility lies squarely with the federations to meet their financial obligations.

Wong says each federation is required to contribute one-third of the costs associated with sending their athletes to the Games while FASANOC and the Fijian government cover the remaining two-thirds.

Failure to meet these deadlines, she warned, could have serious repercussions not only for the teams involved but for the entire event.

“The game is always planned four years in advanced, basically seven years to bid and then four years in planning so when people go and bid and go to games, you’ve got to do the long-term planning.”

They initially had 300 athletes but have reduced the number to 185.

However, the charter flights are fixed, and they will still have to pay the full amount for hiring the charter, whether they send 1 or 200 athletes.

Wong explained that if a team pulls out at the last minute because they cannot meet payment deadlines, it disrupts the entire schedule and forces last-minute changes to match draws, which affects all participants.

While she could not go into the nitty-gritty details of who has paid and who has yet to do so, Wong confirmed that 99% of federations have been able to fully pay.

Despite these challenges, Team Fiji is set to make a strong showing by competing in twelve of the fourteen sports featured at the Mini Games.

These disciplines include archery, athletics, baseball, 3×3 basketball, beach volleyball, indoor women’s volleyball, para-athletics, para-table tennis, triathlon, swimming, va’a and weightlifting.

With the clock ticking, Wong’s firm stance underscores the importance of timely preparation and financial commitment to ensure Fiji’s athletes can perform at their best on the regional stage.

The Pacific Mini Games begin on the 29th of this month in Koror, Palau.

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