The Fiji Rugby Union is likely to receive funding from the Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (FASANOC) for the 2016 Olympics Games in Rio de Janeiro.
FASANOC president Reg Sanday confirmed that preparation grant has been made available from the Olympic Solidarity Fund.
The grant is to fund sports teams from Fiji which have the greatest potential to win a medal at the Rio Games.
“The FRU has put its hand up for funding from the Olympics Solidarity Fund to prepare the Fiji sevens team for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeirio, Brazil in 2016,”Sanday said.
“The funding will be channelled through FASANOC and will cover the cost of teams wishing to qualify for and prepare for the Olympics.”
The grant is for one team only per country.
Sanday said a circular has been sent out to all Olympic team sports in Fiji advising them of the funding.
These sports are basketball, football, hockey, rugby, indoor and beach volleyball.
“A strict condition of the grant is that the team must be recognised to be already of world class standard,”Sanday said.
“This means the team should be in the top five or sixth ranking in the world.”
The grant is for financial and technical assistance such as for specialist coaching and advice.
“For the last Olympics held in London in 2012 the grant went to Fiji women’s volleyball and beach volleyball but both teams weren’t able to qualify,” he said.
Each sport willing to get the help will need to complete a detailed four-year plan broken down into annual plans.
“FASANOC will screen submissions and work with affiliates to improve them before the deadline at the end of the month,”Sanday said.
“We are pleased at FASANOC that despite its busy schedule for the current IRB World Seven Series and the World Cup in Moscow this year plus the start of the Digicel Cup, the Fiji Rugby Union has been able to submit a proposal to FASANOC with its plans to qualify the Fiji Sevens team next year for the Rio Olympics and to continue with preparation for Rio after qualifying,” Sanday said
The plan received from Rugby House is currently being vetted to ensure it ticks all the boxes.
“Once a decision has been made at the end this month the submission will be forwarded on to the Olympic Solidarity Fund for consideration.”
Serevi to return as National Coach for World Cup
We will know in 2 weeks whether Waisale Serevi and Tomasi Cama Snr will be part of the coaching panel for the team to the Rugby 7's World Cup in June.
Fiji Rugby Union HPU General Manager, Mike Ryan has confirmed that he has received word from Alifereti Dere for the inclusion of the duo. Both Serevi and Cama have agreed to assist Dere.
FRU is expected to make a decision before the team leaves for Scotland 7's