Peter Mazey

60 communities are expected to take part in Fiji National Sports Commission’s first-ever Central Community Games.

This is the first of its kind to happen in the central division with youths from various communities around the central division competing in three different sports.

Commission Chair Peter Mazey says a lot of programs had been conducted building up to this including the training of sports administrators, coaches and referees.

Mazey says this community game is conducted for various reasons.

“We are promoting community health, talent identification and you’ll hear the coaches talking about where they’re getting their new talent from. The Police are working with us because we have found a huge reduction in crime wherever we set up sports associations and then the other big one is career pathways.”

Mazey says the government allocated $250,000 in assistance, with the program already concluded from the western and northern division.

Teams will be competing in touch rugby which will be held in Bidesi and Buckhurst, netball at the National Netball Centre and volleyball at the Multipurpose Court.

Fiji 7s double Olympic gold medalist and world cup winner, Jerry Tuwai will open the event which starts next Thursday and runs until Saturday.