Suva, 1968

New Era Begins

[?]Uth Pacific

Games For

Suva, 1968

\n idea which began in the

ith Pacific Conference in

?aul in 1959 will come to

tion in Suva in 1963, when

first South Pacific games take

he field.

IE Suva games will be the first of a series of South Pacific Olympic Games to be held every ;e years at a different locale in South Pacific. new body called the South ific Games Council is to be ted to organise the series, le Council will probably be n a small yearly grant by the :h Pacific Commission to cover •unning costs. lese decisions were made at a erence in Noumea in March, ’h was called by the SPC to ass the setting up of the Games, degates attended from Ameri and Western Samoa, French nesia, the Cooks, Fiji, New donia, New Hebrides, P-NG and T. r. Alwyn Moon, secretary of the fiand Amateur Sports Associa- NZ, attended as an adviser.

Mr. L. O. Simpson, hon. secretary he Fiji Amateur Athletic As ition and Fiji Amateur Sports ciation, was chairman. ie conference agreed that all itories eligible to send delegates ie regular South Pacific Confer s (which are attended by native le) should be included in the es.

Wide Area

is means that participants come from P-NG, Nauru, New donia and its dependencies, is and Futuna Islands, French nesia, NNG, American and ern Samoa, the Tokelaus, the s, Niue, Fiji, BSIP, GEIC, n, the US Trust Territory of Pacific, the New Hebrides and a. ey must be amateurs. neral feeling at the Noumea srence was that the number of

sports for the first Games be re stricted, and that the participation of women be encouraged.

The official sports selected for the first Games are soccer, athletics and lawn tennis.

Tennis events are to be team games, not individual contests Athletic events will follow as closely as possible those listed for the Olympics.

Swimming, basketball and cycl ing were suggested for inclusion in future Games.

The conference was very interested in finding, for inclusion in the Games, some sport typical of the South Pacific, but nobody could come up with any ideas.

Most sports discussed were not common to all, or even most, Terri tories. However, it was felt that canoe racing probably was the best suggestion, although no final de cision was made.

After a long and spirited dis cussion it was decided that in digenous people would be eligible at all times to represent the Territory of their birth, irrespective of their race. Thus an Indian or European may represent Fiji, a Japanese may represent the US Trust Territory, a Chinese may represent any one of a number of Territories, or a Tongan may represent, say, Samoa or Fiji. (Over)

If indigenous people were born tside the South Pacific Games ?ion, then at their choice they ly represent the Territory of her parent.

Before a competitor becomes gible to compete for another rritory he will have to live in that rritory for at least six months ior to the Games, However, ex triates must have lived in the rritory they represent for at least 0 years before the Games.

Indigenous Definition

:t is worth noting that the con ence’s definition of indigenous *e means a person born within ;erritory irrespective of race, and : necessarily aboriginal, expatriates are those born out e the South Pacific Games region, ther of whose parents were born bin the region.

"he conference decided to ask the C to agree to the giving of a nt to the host country of each mes, to help in its organisation, 1 to ask that metropolitan gov iments give assistance, in the m of coaches and athletes on >rt-term visits to stimulate local erest. ’inances for the games are also >ected to be helped by gate re pts and such things as the sale TV film and other rights, and by eipts from perhaps a Pacific mds Concert to be staged by the ticipating territories.

Must Affiliate

Linong the technical problems mssed was the need for terri ies not affiliated to any inter ional sports body to arrange liation. This is because those ritories which are affiliated, can compete against non-affiliated 'itories. t was decided to fix the date of first Games as 1963 to give •itories plenty of time to handle technical difficulties and also honour any commitments they V already have for international nter-territorial games, he host territory for the Games be empowered to choose the e of the year for them in order take into account weather and

immodation problems,

uring discussion on where the > Games would be held, the pos lities of Auckland and Sydney e mentioned before Suva was lly selected. (It was the Fiji gation at the Rabaul South ific Conference in 1959 that pro id a Games be organised). ae Noumea meeting decided ; Territories should use their officials wherever possible so " may gain experience, but as mce from the metropolitan gov nents might be required in pro ig specialist officials, such as rees and time-keepers.

For the first Games, the Noumea meeting laid down that the lawn tennis competition would comprise two men’s singles, two women’s singles, one men’s doubles, one women’s, and two mixed doubles.

Games Details

The athletics programme will be as far as possible: MEN—IOO metres; 200 m; 400 nr 800 m; 1,500 m; 5,000 m; 10,000 m; 3,000 m steeplechase; marathon -110 m hurdles; 400 m hurdles; pole vault; high jump; long jump; hop, step and jump; shot putt; hammer, discus and javelin; 4 x 100 m relay and 4 x 400 m relay. It was stipu lated that the marathon must not

be run during the hottest period of the day.

Women—Ioo M; 200 M; 800 M;

80 m hurdles; high jump; long jump; shot putt; discus; javelin; 4 x 100 m relay. It is possible the programme may be added to or altered, and the organising com mitee of the host Territory may add extra sports “unofficially” to the events, if it gives at least 12 months’ notice.

Territories will not be allowed to enter more than three competitors in each individual event, and only one team in the team events.

The South Pacific Games Council will have complete control of the policy of the games.