[File Photo]

Minister for Tourism Faiyaz Koya says there’s a huge potential for Fiji to harness our sporting capabilities and transform sports into a major income-generating sector.

Koya says the nation has hosted big sporting events in the past which is an exceptional reflection of our ability.

He says we have hosted the Fiji International tournament played at Natadola Bay Championship Golf Course, the Investec Super Rugby and the 2018 Fiji Interhash which indicates what we are capable of.

Koya says sports play a central role in building social cohesion and has supported improvements in health and well-being and generated employment opportunities for many Fijians.

“Remittance inflows from Fijian sports personnel overseas have been a good source of foreign exchange earnings and income support for many families.”

The Minister for Tourism adds that in line with the National Development Plan, they want to strengthen the professional development of sports and build new state-of-the-art facilities.