Despite being on a tight schedule Mr. Sayed-Khaiyum took time out to attend the inauguration of the second Fiji FA goal project which took place last Tuesday night in Vatuwaqa. #FIFA Vice President/Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) President David Chung was the chief guest at the function which was also attended by FIFA development manager Glenn Turner and Fiji FA President Rajesh Patel, board members, sponsors, staff, Japanese and Indian High Commission ambassador. #Mr. Sayed-Khaiyum congratulated Fiji FA, OFC and world football governing body FIFA. #“It gives me much pleasure to be here, in particular to see this wonderful facility that is built primarily through the contribution of FIFA and of course OFC, which has been the main representative of FIFA in this part of the world. I would like to congratulate Fiji FA for working with FIFA and OFC,” he said. #The second Fiji FA FIFA Goal project sees a facility situated in Vatuwaqa which will house the new Fiji FA headquarters and provide dining, accommodation and training facilities. #“In any country and in any sport, the development starts at the bottom level. That is at a very early age. In order to do so you need to have the right facilities and a professional attitude system in place for them to be able to do well in that sport,” stated the Attorney-General.#“Soccer in Fiji has been neglected in the area of professional development. By that I mean that there have not necessarily been substantive inroads made into the development of youth players,” he added. “When you look at other countries, very professional 7 or 8 year olds are taken to the Saturday soccer games by their parents as they know that there is a system in place. The parents and families are willing to make an investment, not just in money, but in time and effort.”#“With the opening of this facility we all hope that this is the beginning of the true professional development that is critical to ensuring Fiji positions itself, not just as a soccer-playing nation, but as a soccer-playing nation that has credibility and does well both in the region and internationally,” he said.#
