Fiji to launch National Olympians Association

11 | 7 | 2017

Olympians in Fiji have announced the launch of the country’s first National Olympians Association. The announcement, led by WOA Executive Board member and five-time Olympian Carl Probert, was made on the occasion of the Fijian Olympic Day celebrations in Suva on 30 June. The Fijian Olympians Association (FOA), which has the full support of the Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (FASANOC), will be formally inaugurated in the coming weeks.

Carl Probert, an Olympic swimmer who is one of Fiji’s most decorated athletes, will take on the role of President of the FOA. Fellow Olympic swimmer Angela Birch, who competed at Seoul 1988, will be FOA Secretary and Tony Moore, Olympic long jumper (Montreal 1976) and an inductee of Fiji’s Sports Hall of Fame, will join as a committee member.

The FOA plans to host its annual general meeting at Fiji’s Sports Hall of Fame. The FOA will also aim for representation at regional meetings, such as the Pacific Games, to encourage new members to join, promote the values of the FOA and provide support the FASANOC. Participation at future Olympic Day events in Fiji for locally-based Olympians will also be a priority.

WOA Executive Board member and five-time Olympian Carl Probert, said:

“Olympians in Fiji are very much a part of the fabric of our society, which puts a high value on sport. You only need to look to our men’s rugby sevens team, who won our country’s first gold medal at Rio 2016, to see the reverence placed on our sporting heroes. This means there is a fantastic opportunity for Olympians in Fiji to make a real and substantial difference across a range of community actions like promoting the importance of healthy and active lifestyles, social inclusion and development.

“We have designed the Fijian Olympians Association so that it aligns closely with our country’s National Olympic Committee and Athletes’ Commission, working in partnership to help support Olympians. We see the FOA as becoming an integral part of Fiji’s sporting infrastructure, creating a pathway for Olympians to remain connected with the wider Olympic Family, while providing opportunities for them to engage with and give back to their communities.”

Plans to establish the FOA were welcomed by Olympians attending the recent Oceania National Olympic Committee (ONOC) Athletes’ Forum in Fiji in May.