The First Minister's Trip to Qatar

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:18 pm on 13 December 2022.

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Photo of Mark Drakeford Mark Drakeford Labour 2:18, 13 December 2022

Well, Llywydd, I absolutely agree with Jack Sargeant. One of the legacies of Wales's success in getting to the world cup final has to be in inspiring that new generation of young people to take part in sports of all kind, and if they're to do that, then investment in facilities is necessary. We work alongside the FAW, with significant investment through Sport Wales, both to invest in grass-roots football, but also to invest in other sports that we know are succeeding here in Wales.

Jack Sargeant can look forward to another year ahead, Llywydd, where Wales will be on that world stage. We will be in India for the Men's FIH Hockey World Cup final, and that's a huge thing. Hockey is an enormous sport in India—millions and millions of people across the world will see Wales again at a world cup final. Our women will be at the Netball World Cup final in South Africa later next year, and of course next year will be a year of the Rugby World Cup in France. So, Jack has been luckier than some of us in the time that he has been following Welsh sport, but the good news is that there's plenty more to come, and that should—as he said—be an inspiration to those young people across Wales to invest their time and their energy in pastimes in which we have seen such phenomenal success for Wales in recent times.