Minister for Youth and Sports
Hon.Parveen Kumar Bala
Monday, 26th September, 2022, 2:00pm
Salutation:
- Master of Ceremonies;
- Distinguished & Invited Guests;
- Members of the Community;
- Ladies and Gentlemen;
Bula Vinaka and a very good afternoon to you all,
Today is a big day for all of us – the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Multi-purpose Court is a milestone for the Lautoka City that is the result of a collaborative planning effort and required hard work and coordination by many partners, partners that are here today to share in our celebration.
Over the years, many of you have been able to envision the potential for infrastructure partnerships that support economic development in Lautoka City.
Fortunately, enough of you also believed in and trusted each other and your Government to get us here today, you also trusted the District to help you get it done.
Today’s project which Government has invested $127,530.00 is the fruit of a partnership between the Ministry of Youth and Sports with the Lautoka City Council and the contractors.
The project we are here to celebrate today is more than just a sports facility; we see it in the broader context, as an important part of the greater effort to connect our communities through strategic infrastructure investment, and as a major step in stimulating next level economic development here in Lautoka.
When this project is completed, we will be one giant step closer to fulfilling our economic development potential. I, for one, am looking forward to seeing this community thrive and prosper in the years ahead.
And, finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t thank you all for getting it done NOW. As many of you are aware, this is an historic moment in both the capital and construction marketplaces. Frankly, there has not been a more affordable time in recent memory to execute a project like this.
The time has now come to thank some of the folks that helped get us here today. Quite frankly, this major investment would not have happened without all of your assistance:
- First and foremost, Lautoka City Council for allocating a piece of land to construct this volleyball court on.
- The contractors who will construct this facility - Chands Maintenance & Renovation PTE Ltd.
- My own staff from the Sports Development Unit who helped facilitate this project.
I also extend my appreciation to all of the community members and others who are either working on the project or can’t wait for it to open so that they can utilize the facility.
This new sports facility will have a great positive impact on this community of Lautoka as it will promote health and wellbeing for the community and also identify some talents in the community that will in future, be representing Fiji in Sports. The facility is intended for sports like volleyball and will also be an income generating opportunity for the youth and the community in hosting sports events.
At this time, I invite the officials, community elders and youth reps to come forward and join me in turning the first shovels of cement commemorating this special occasion.
Each of these architects, the builder and my staff and I will stay a while to help answer any questions you may have. As we close out this formal portion of our dedication, feel free to come forward and turn a shovel of cement yourselves and create your own portrait in time commemorating how you were there when it all first began!
I want to thank you all for coming. Please stay to enjoy the refreshments, and share in our joy of this wonderful occasion.
Vinaka and thank you.
-ENDS-