Madam Speaker, with your permission I will reply to PQ B/999 and B/1021 together as they relate to the same subject. I thank the hon. Member for allowing me to expatiate the plans and programme for the revival of football in Mauritius. Madam Speaker, we all remember the golden days/years of le roi football which had firmly established itself as the island’s most popular sport, transcending ethnic, social and religious divides. The level of competition was intense and football became a unifying cultural force. Football stars in five generations of youth players with a diverse fan base and stadiums were always full, even regional matches were attended by thousands of enthusiasts. However, Madam Speaker, when I took office, football in Mauritius was in deep crisis. Our national team was languished at the bottom of FIFA rankings; stadiums were more than often empty; enthusiasm has worn off; sponsors were reluctant to invest, given the lack of competitiveness and fan interest. Young athletes often preferred other emerging sports, leaving football with a shrinking base. The collapse of Mauritius football has been mainly due to the lack of political vision of the MSM-led government over the last 10 years. These are manifold, but may be summarised as follows –  neglected youth development;  failure to address governance issues;  failure to build structure, training centres, scooting system or coaching programmes;

82  talented players lacked pathways to professional careers, both locally and abroad, and  poor maintenance, lack of planning and absence of community facility meant that infrastructures failed to serve as a sustainable backbone for football. The decline of Mauritian football was not a merely sporting issue, but a reflection of political short-sightedness of lack of vision. Instead of harnessing football’s unifying power, leaders allowed communal division, poor governance and quick political fixers to undermine the sport. Fortunately, Madam Speaker, Mauritius still has the potential to be a strong footballing nation. With the correct plans and political will, nous retournons au sport ses lettres de noblesse. Madam Speaker, already, the mood in the country is changing. Football matches have started to attract good crowds. The national team has started once again to perform decently. Football in villages is picking up consistently. That is palpable. The meaningful results we are now experiencing are not a mere coincidence. It is a process of a calculated approach. In this context, my Ministry and the Mauritius Football Association (MFA) have agreed to collaborate for the revival of football, which also includes the professionalism thereof. Accordingly, together with MFA, we have developed a 4-year plan for the revival and the professionalisation of football. The strategic objectives of the plan are to –  reform governance and transparency in football administration to ensure accountability, efficiency and trust;  rebuild domestic competition to attract spectators, sponsors and media attention;  develop strong grassroot and youth pathway through a comprehensive review and strengthening of écoles de football to identify and nurture talents nationwide;  professionalise football by establishing clear structures, standards and support mechanism for clubs, coaches and players to transition towards full-time professionalism;  upgrade football infrastructures across the island to meet modern, safe and inclusive standards;  invest in coaches, referees and administrators education to raise the technical and managerial level of Mauritian football;

83  straighten woman football as a key growth area for participation, visibility and leadership, and  rebrand football image to restore public confidence, pride and community engagement in the sport. Madam Speaker, the revival of football is estimated to cost some Rs238 million annually. The annual breakdown of the proposed budget is as follows –  Rs120 million will be dedicated to men and women clubs to support operational youth development and compliance with licensing standards.  Rs50 million will be directed towards grassroot and youth development initiative, including the revival of inter-school and inter-college competitions, the football for school programme, football training centres and community or village football activities.  Rs40 million will be invested in infrastructure and facilities, covering the development of mini pitches, upgrade to football training centres and creation of women football friendly environment.  Rs8 million annually will support coaches, education and technical assistants, including CAF licensing coaches, continuous professional development and the training of grassroot educators.  Rs10 million will be allocated to enhance facilities, establish national league and facilitate international participation in respect of beach soccer and futsal.  Rs10 million will be earmarked for sport science and hyper performance programme to strengthen fitness, medical and performance analysis support unit. Madam Speaker, the MFA will contribute financially through co-investment in projects funded by FIFA Forward, CAF grants and sponsorships. With dedicated allocation earmarked for clubs’ licensing, youth leagues and national team participation, Government will also participate in this initiative. In collaboration with FIFA Forward and related international assistant programmes, priority will also be given to the development of new AstroTurf pitches. These facilities will serve to modernise regional football infrastructure, provide year-round, all-weather training and competition surfaces and support grassroot youth, woman football, futsal and community football activities.

84 According to MFA, USD 50,000 is available for grassroot football development. In primary schools, the MFA has also indicated that FIFA funding is also available for 10 synthetic surfaces. Additionally, the MFA has received 1,000 balls, donated by FIFA for the football of schools’ project. Madam Speaker, on the technical side, my Ministry and the MFA will act as a lead agency for planning and coordinating the project for the revival of football, overseeing grassroot youth, woman football, futsal and beach soccer programmes. It will also be responsible for implementing coach education, referees and technical assistants. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Yes! You both have the right to speak!

Merci, Madame la présidente. Lors de la conférence de presse du ministre, datant du 2 octobre dernier, un programme de détection pour les U15 à U18 a été évoqué. Or, quand on voit la carrière des grandes vedettes, ils ont commencé bien plus tôt, même à l’école primaire. L’honorable ministre peut-il nous dire ce qui sera fait à ce sujet ? Merci.

I have a meeting with my good friend, the hon. Minister of Education. We are working on a plan and this is coming shortly. We are going to announce it.

Yes!

Merci, Madame la présidente. Puisque le mot de professionnalisation a été évoqué pour la relance du football, quelle serait la fourchette de salaire qui sera proposée aux footballeurs choisis ? Merci.

How can I say it now? Let the plan come first. We will work on it and then we are going to decide on the amount we are going to give to the football.

The plan is not ready?

No.

Okay.

Yes, Mr Quirin!

Merci, Madame la présidente. L’honorable ministre peut-il dire à la Chambre quelles structures de bonne gouvernance seront mises en place pour superviser la mise en œuvre

85 du projet ? Car comme il l’a dit lui-même, plusieurs centaines de millions seront dépensés chaque année.

The project is in an implementation phase over three years. So, when it comes to governance and infrastructure improvements, it will occur in the first 18 months. So, we are giving time and working on it. I am sure that all the technical assistance, training and financial guidance will be provided as we go along, and we are going to see the results soon.

Dernière question, Madame la présidente.

Yes!

Récemment à la presse, l’honorable ministre a parlé de miracle à venir pour le football mauricien, peut-il de ce fait dire à la Chambre, quels sont les principaux indicateurs de performance qui sont très utiles, qui seront utilisés pour mesurer les résultats au fil des années, bien sûr ?

When we are talking of miracles, there is miracle because nous avons la volonté et le gouvernement, l’ensemble du gouvernement, le Premier ministre et le Deputy Prime Minister et tout le monde ensemble pour faire de sorte que nous donnons toute notre attention pour que la relance se fait et avoir des résultats.

Les indicateurs de performance – ma question est sur les indicateurs de performance…

You have to wait!

Il faudra attendre. I have a few more minutes. So, I will ask Mr Babajee, yes! WESTERN REGION – WATER SUPPLY – RESERVOIRS – WATER TANKER TRUCKS – REMEDIAL ACTIONS