Weightlifting Fiji has been given a substantial amount to prepare and develop its athletes for international events.
This was clarified by Minister for Sports Laisenia Tuitubou in parliament today after a question raised by Opposition MP Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu.
Ratu Naiqama had asked as to what sort of assistance has been given to sporting organizations like weightlifting who won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, to help better Fiji’s participation at international tournaments.
In response, Tuitubou says, under their assistance, the sport itself has got funds to send its athletes to train overseas and also get in overseas experts to train our lifters locally.
“Over the past years, weightlifting has been receiving grants from the International Olympic committee to enable elite lifters to participate in international events to be coached at the International standard level locally and also to train overseas at the special weightlifting academies.”
Lalabalavu then asked Tuitubou if there are any incentives allocated to Paul Coffer who has been helping most of our lifters attained medals in international meets.
“The grant scholarship that was given to Cikamatana was since 2016 which was $41, 761.00 and the second one was in 2017 and 2018 to prepare herself at the Oceania Academy in Noumea under Paul Coffa so that amount was given to the academy and it falls under that fund to Coffa.”
Tuitubou then adds that the Ministry has four different grants forefront which allocated to all the National Sporting Federations every year to help prepare its athletes, coaches and officials to any international meets.
