Tonga Pacific Games Organizing Committee to Work on Available Resources ^Featured

Tongan National Olympic Committee secretary general Takitoa Taumoepeau, in an interview with the Fiji Times, said that he is optimistic that Tonga will be ready to host the Games in four years time setting aside doubts by certain sectors from their community.

Taumoepeau, who observed how Papua New Guinea organized the XV Pacific Games this year, added that they are aware of the size of the sporting event in Port Moresby.

“They have 28 sports in their Games, we only have 26. Secondly, the facilities and venues, I think at our Games we are only having a couple of new projects where they’ve built new facilities, but the majority of it is renovations and upgrading of facilities,” said Taumoepeau.

“We will conduct the games within our means and with the resources we have at home,” added Taumoepeau, who was part of Tonga’s bronze medal-winning cricket team in the 1991 Pacific Games in Port Moresby.

He said Tonga, in hosting the 2019 Games, in no way would be the same as the way it was hosted in Port Moresby. The Papua New Guinea organizing committee spent almost 60 million kina (US$23.06 million).

“I can say that in our bid we kind of have a thing about a walking games. What we proposed, or what we plan for in 2019, is just concentrating on two main sporting clusters. So we can work something around those kinds of principals.”

Tonga came up with the “walking games” term since most of the sporting venues are within walking distance to each other.

Taumopeau said that every Pacific Games has its own uniqueness, which Tonga would capitalize to show to its Pacific Island neighbors and to the rest of the world.

The opening and closing ceremonies alone, he added, will be Tonga’s statement where it would show the culture and the country of the Pacific Island nation.

“We still remain the only constitutional monarchy in the South Pacific. So, we are proud of it. We will work around those kind of concepts,” Taumopeau said.

Tonga Prime Minister Akilisi Pohiva, along with Tonga Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee vice president Ahongalu Fusimalohi, in separate interviews expressed concern with their country’s hosting of the Pacific Games.

Source: SaipanTribune.com