Chinese government provides grant for maintenance of two Suva Multipurpose Sports Complex venues

Project narrative

On September 24, 2019, an implementation agreement was signed by representatives of the Fiji Sports Council and SIPPR Engineering Group Co., Ltd. (机械工业第六设计研究院有限公司), for the renovation of the Damodar City Aquatic Centre and the National Hockey Centre of the Suva Multipurpose Sports Complex. The project was fully funded by a grant, of an unknown amount, from the Chinese Government. The precise date a commitment was signed for these grant funds is unknown. Pre-implementation inspections by a Chinese delegation were carried out in 2017 ("FSC RECEIVES GREEN LIGHT..."). In January 2018, Gu Yu of the Chinese Embassy said that the Chinese Government was planning to provide a grant for the maintenance project. In August 2019, SIPPR won the bid to construct the project. After the signing of the implementation agreement in September 2019, renovations were expected to start as early as July 2020 and finish by the end of 2021 ("FSC RECEIVES GREEN LIGHT..."). However, in July 2021, pre-implementation work was still taking place: on July 8 and 9, representatives from the Agency for International Economic Cooperation of China's Ministry of Commerce (商务部国际经济合作事务局), Beijing Architectural Design Research Institute Co., Ltd. (BIAD, 北京市建筑设计研究院有限公司), SIPPR, and Zhongding International Construction Group Co., Ltd. met to discuss project design, construction and management. Construction officially launched in June 2022, following delays related to extended pre-implementation planning and coordination. On January 12, 2024, the newly renovated Aquatic Centre and National Hockey Centre were officially handed over to the Government of Fiji. The handover ceremony, attended by Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and Chinese Ambassador Zhou Jian, highlighted the venues’ broader significance for sports diplomacy and infrastructure development in the region. The project itself consisted of improving the comfort of use, restoring all functions of the aging equipment, and upgrading and beautifying the surroundings of the two facilities. The upgrades are intended to meet not only the training and competition needs of professional athletes, but also to meet the requirements for Fiji to hold regional international competitions.