A two-day FIFA Infrastructure seminar was officially open by FIFA Council member and Fiji FA president Rajesh Patel at Novotel Conference Center in Lami today.
Patel reminded the participants that this was a very important workshop, the infrastructure workshop.
“As you all know FIFA Forward 2.0 program has invest a lot in the eleven Oceania countries and this is a very important workshop, the infrastructure workshop which is the basic need of all our eleven member associations in Oceania,” said Patel
Patel said without infrastructure football cannot develop.
“This is something we badly need in the island nations and this is a very important workshop and make sure you learn a lot from it,”
“FIFA Forward is very strict in funding and everything and there are lot procedures and keep in mind and do the right thing to get your money from FIFA as they have promised, “said Patel
“Its good thing that money keeps increasing and there is good news after World Cup in Russia the money increased and the next World Cup in Qatar and if it is successful you can expect more money from FIFA, “said Patel
Patel is confident that this workshop will benefit the federation and hopes for the best in their upcoming projects.
FIFA’s Director Member Associations Asia-Oceania Sanjeevan Balasingam said the main objective of the workshop was to ensure that all eleven Member Associations from the Oceania have credible and long lasting infrastructure projects.
“They leave a legacy for football in the country and we do this by utilising FIFA funds so we have two million US dollars solely for projects and we need to emphasise that we need infrastructure, “said Balasingam
Balasingam said that this worshop is the way forward for the Oceania region to discuss ways in which FIFA can help assists Fiji in building a proper pitches for football, a stadium and a proper Headquaters for the Sport.
“Fiji has been very progressive comes to FIFA projects and apart from New Zealand we can see Fiji is the country that is really pushing football despite been a dominated rugby country just like New Zealand but the administrators and officials from Fiji FA are very progressive and proactive when it comes to developing football,”
“And we are here to showcase the work of Fijian football and that is why we choose Fiji.
