South Seas' First Games

Pace Increases For Staging South Seas' First Games

Prom a Suva Correspondent A prominent English sporting official, Mr. Joseph Coyne, arrived in Fiji on January 17 to organise the South Pacific Games. Mr. Coyne was a swimming official at the 1962 Commonwealth Games at Perth, and has had wide experience of Olympic and Commonwealth Games.

HE will be employed full-time till after the Games end on Sep tember 7 to carry out the policy of the Games organising committee.

His designation is Director of Organisation.

The organising committee, which is made up of businessmen and Government officials, found that they were unable to devote the necessary time to such an exacting task as organising the initial Games for the South Pacific. Some of them at Perth in November and December had a quiet look round and decided it was necessary to have a full-time organiser. Hence Mr. Coyne’s appointment.

Many Ideas

Mr. K. C. (Kam) Gajadhar, sec retary of the organising committee, who was at the Perth Games as manager of the Fiji weightlifter, made a thorough inspection of all that was necessary to run such an event successfully. He returned to Fiji full of ideas about what can be done in the Colony, on a modified scale, to make the South Pacific Games an outstanding success.

His attitude is that the Games are not only for athletes and officials.

The public could also play an impor tant part in helping things to run smoothly. As an example, at Perth, many private citizens lent their cars to competitors and officials, some for the duration of the Games, others for a few hours each day. ‘We would like something like that in Fiji,” says Mr. Gajadhar. “It will help us a lot if we know we are going to have the use of cars to get officials and athletes to the various venues. If those prepared to help cannot let us have their cars all day, they could perhaps give them to us for two or three hours at definite times. That will be a big help.”

At Perth several motor firms put cars at the disposal of the organisers.

Some firms provided appliances for the Games Village, while others helped with equipment and the other

hundred and one items necessary make such a big undertaking; success.

Mr. Gajadhar said that Fiji, course, could not expect to prow facilities on a similar scale to Pei; The main athletic field is Buckhurst Park, which is good, swimming pool might give so trouble as the Suva sea baths are of Olympic standard, and the V boxing arena in Suva, at the PV recreation hall, Walu Bay, will hold very big crowds.

The South Pacific Commission make a grant of up to £6,000 to -j for equipment for the Games, equipment has already been orde:; The cost of running the Games; expected to be about £10,000,, which there is already more tJ £2,000. The money required! expected to come to hand, dess the fact that subscriptions have b comparatively slow.

The people of Ba and Tavuai the northern side of Viti Levu re* set the ball rolling when it c:: to collecting money for the Gan Without any prompting from and taking a national view, they\ ganised many functions, all of wl\ showed a profit. In a few w<\ they raised more than £5OO.

When their money was in hands of the central committee was then equal to about five-sir of the public subscriptions. T set an example to other areas, v/\ now have money-raising program! in hand.

Mr. Gajadhar expects there be many visitors from New Zear and Australia for the Games, ancb the Hibiscus Festival which s? the day the Games end. Accommr tion for an influx of visitors present problems, but there iss accommodation committee which i arrange private board, if all h<f and residentials are booked However, intending visitors shr make their requirements known soon.

Mr. Gajadhar said that Fiji w* have the biggest contingent at 1 Games —this was natural because* was the host territory.