CANBERRA, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government on Tuesday announced funding for athletes and officials from Pacific countries leading up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Minister for Pacific Island Affairs Pat Conroy said in a joint statement that Australia will provide 15.6 million Australian dollars (about 11.2 million U.S. dollars) over four years to support athletes and officials from 13 Pacific countries to access high-performance training and qualification opportunities.
They said that recipients of the funding will be supported for the 2027 Pacific Games in Tahiti, the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games and other international sporting events.
Albanese said that the new partnership will contribute to producing the next generation of successful athletes.
"As we move forward in planning for Brisbane 2032, Australia looks forward to welcoming the best of the best sporting talent from the Pacific and supporting them to go for gold," he said.
The funding announcement coincided with the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders' Meeting in Palau, which Albanese is attending. ■
