Address at the Handing Over of Sports Ground and Opening of Dawasamu Sevens Tournament at the Dawasamu Secondary School, Tailevu on 24 November 2017 at 8a.m.
• The Principal Dawasamu Secondary School and teachers
• Respective participating teams and management
• Members of Tailevu Community
• Invited Guests
• Ladies and Gentlemen
==============================
Bula vinaka, Namaste, Salaam Aleikum and Good morning to you all.
It is indeed a privilege to be here with you this morning.
I thank the school committee and the people of Dawasamu for providing such strong support during the development of the school grounds.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Ministry of Youth and Sports is mandated to develop youth, sports and physical activity in the country.
Sports is not just about competition but also about recreation and enjoyment. Sport activity is essential to establish a solid foundation for all of us, young and old, male and female.
It also recognizes the equal and important participation from individuals living with disability.
The Government, through the Ministry of Youth and Sports, continues to provide support to the development of sporting facilities, grounds and youth development throughout Fiji.
The UNDP estimates that in Fiji, the cost of non-communicable diseases like obesity cost the economy between $200 and $400 million a year. It is thus essential that we all take responsibility for our own health.
We need to exercise more – at least 45 minutes of strenuous exercise a day. We need to eat a healthier diet.
In this way, we can contribute to reducing the cost of NCDs to our economy and put that money to other equally important issues like running water, electricity (particularly solar power), improving our infrastructure – including our sports infrastructure.
We need more people to participate in sports activities, in more places more often to improve our health.
Students, teachers, parents please take pride in the recent development of this facility. Please ensure that the grounds remain in good condition, are well maintained and receive attention when required. It is a grass facility so please plan times for the grass to recover.
This is your ground and you are to ensure its sustainability. Teachers, you all are in a better position to understand the importance of physical activity particularly to our students.
It is my humble plea that you encourage your students to access the playground during extra-curricular sessions and engage them in physical activities.
This will allow students to have intervals from the demanding learning modules and will provide them an opportunity to freshen their minds, reduce stress and learn the lessons that sport can teach.
Ladies and Gentlemen, these facilities are a means for all to engage in physical activities and I cannot over-emphasise the need for us Fijians to stay healthy and physically active.
I hope you will maintain your sports ground and ensure that it is utilised to the fullest for the school and the community.
I hope it brings you many hours of fun-filled activity as families coming together to enjoy healthy living. I hope that our girls are able to use it as often as our boys.
Even though it is assumed to be a rugby facility, it can also be used for volleyball, netball, soccer and physical education. Please encourage the community to participate in all these sports.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the upgrade of this Dawasamu Secondary School grounds cost $46,700. This included:
• levelling of the full size ground with grader machines,
• grubbing the top surface soil,
• marking of the ground,
• installing the goal posts.
This Ladies and Gentlemen is a true testament of the dedication and the commitment of the Ministry to develop sporting facilities for our communities.
I am pleased to note that straight after the official hand-over of the grounds to the school, we will be treated to the Tailevu Sevens tournament.
The Dawasamu Secondary School grounds can now be considered for a variety of sporting events.
To all the participating teams, Ladies and Gentlemen, Tailevu is renowned as a proud sports and rugby loving district. Over many years, Tailevu has been able to produce many great athletes and players.
I believe that many of you have aspirations of representing your country and I wish you all the best on your journey. You will require dedication, commitment, discipline but follow where others have gone before you.
With the provision of this new facility, I hope that the Dawasamu district and the Tailevu province nurture further amazing sportspersons.
I urge all youths to take the lead role in assisting the school management with the maintenance of the ground and rendering assistance when required.
Finally, to all the teams give it your best, play hard but fair at the same time. Be humble in victory and gracious in defeat.
At the end of the tournament there will be only one winner and few runner ups but be mindful that participation is what really matters.
I now officially hand over the Dawasamu Secondary School grounds to the school committee and wish all the participating teams in the Tailevu Sevens all the best.
May the best team win and may this facility encourage many more of you to become active.
Vinaka Vakalevu, Dhanyabad, Shokran and thank you all very much.