Vanuatu women's beach volleyball team against Fiji at the 2023 Pacific Games in Honiara, Solomon Islands. Photo: Facebook / VASANOC
Team Vanuatu's preparations for the Palau Mini Games is yet to receive their government's support, the Vanuatu Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (VASANOC) has confirmed.
VASANOC chief Executive David Lolo told RNZ Pacific last week that they are still waiting for confirmation of government funding.
However, he said preparation work is on target, with 130 athletes and officials currently training for the Mini Games, which is scheduled to kick off on 29 June in Palau's capital, Koror.
"We have not received any confirmation of financial support from our government at this stage," Lolo said.
"We have just recently submitted [our] full long list and we will finalise our team by the end of the month."
He said in an earlier interview that VASANOC had "also leaned on the Australian government through DFAT (Australia High Commission in Vanuatu) for assistance".
Lolo said Team Vanuatu had "no issues" with the player registration fee that all regional athletes pay for participation at the Games.
"Our long list has been registered on time," he added.
In an earlier interview, Lolo said they planned to take 99 athletes from nine different sports.
The country's capital city, Port Vila, was struck by an earthquake in December last year, which damaged sports facilities as well and affected Team Vanuatu's preparations.
"It affects us massively," Lolo said.
"You cannot discount what a training facility or environment does for an athletes' preparation. Among all things, if the athletes mindset is lowered due to this, their support team already feel one step behind.
"We do not know what can be done because we are in recovery mode but certainly there are ways to support our federations."
Lolo said VASANOC is working with chef de mission Aileen Huri, and the individual sports federations, to ensure all preparation plans cover the "must do" issues, ensuring that the athletes are well prepared for the event.
Medals and improved performances will be the driving factor for the contingent, with medal hopes in athletics, table tennis, beach volleyball, judo, archery and weightlifting based on the 2023 Pacific Games results.
Drop levies, Fiji's Elder says
Meanwhile, Weightlifting Fiji head coach Henry Elder has told local media that the Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (FASANOC) should drop the FJ$3000 levy athletes have to pay.
The requirement has sparked debate locally, as it is not the first time athletes have been expected to cover significant costs to represent the country.
"This in my view is really unfair," Elder told state broadcaster FBC.
"These athletes they struggle for so long, some of them even take loans to make this payment.
"I think it is high time that something is done to take the burden off these athletes."
He said many athletes fork out money to pay for their training, travels and other needs, without any assistance from FASANOC or government, to pay for those.
"Many of these athletes already face challenges attending regular training sessions due to financial constraints, and the additional levy only intensifies these difficulties," Elder stated.
However, FASANOC said on Thursday that the $3000 levy for participation in the Pacific Mini Games is imposed on sporting federations, not directly on athletes.
FASANOC chief executive Vanessa Kilner told FBC Sports that it is each federation's responsibility to manage how the levy is paid.
Kilner stressed that the decision on whether athletes pay out of pocket lies with the individual federations, adding the arrangement is not new.
"The national federations are levied $3000 per person on their team, not just the athletes," Kilner said.
"Our total cost of sending someone to the Pacific Mini Games is $15,500 for one person.
"So $3000 is what you contribute. Some national federations do it very well while some actually pay for their athletes."
Some sports federations have done their own fundraising to help them get their share of the levy.
