Residential
p. 57 · Read in the full issue
Support for Games Residential Qualifications
By. Norman Baxter
The two-year residential quali
fication for South Pacific Games
aspirants has upset some people
in Papua-New Guinea. A columnist in the Port Moresby South Pacific Post has described the provision as “ridiculous” and a bombshell to many. The rule will exclude a number of ex patriates who had excellent chances of representing some of the island groups at Suva in August-September, says the Post.
THE Post columnist charges that the French wrote the clause into the Games constitution at Noumea when the Games were being planned, and suggests that they were frightened Papua-New Guinea would stack their squad with Australian stars.
Exactly!
The wise residential provision in serted by the Games founders ensures that no territory will be able to “stack” its team. In my view the term could be even longer say three years. After all, the Games are for genuine Pacific Islanders, and not for those people who might be posted to an island for a term of two or three years.
Inevitably Small
Teams from the Islands at major meetings, such as the Olympic or Commonwealth Games, are inevitably small, because of financial stringency, plus limited ability. They do not have the facilities which are available in metropolitan countries to bring athletes, except in very rare instances, to something approaching world standard. The number of first-class coaches in the Islands is very small.
A few expatriate top-notchers at Suva could scoop the pool and take all the medals, eventually, to terri tories outside the South Pacific. In Fiji, for example, there could be out standing athletes or swimmers, or soccer players, or Rugby footballers, serving in the Colony for limited terms of no more than two and a half years in the RNZAF or the teach ing profession. They are welcome in
Fiji, let there be no doubt about it, but they have no natural right to represent the Colony in any sport.
The same argument can apply to Australians in Papua-New Guinea for a limited term, or Frenchmen in New Caledonia or Tahiti.
Rules Are Clear The rules are quite clear: Indigenous people are eligible at all times to represent the territory of their birth. Thus an Indian or Euro pean may represent Fiji, a Japanese may appear for the US Trust Terri tory. a European may represent French Polynesia, and a Samoan or a Tongan, born in Fiji, may repre sent Fiji, If indigenes happen to be born outside the South Pacific Games region they may represent, at their choice, the territory of either parent.
Before a competitor becomes eligible to compete for another terri tory he has to live in that Terri tory for at least six months before the Games. However, expatriates must have lived in the territory they represent for at least two years before the Games.
The South Pacific Conference definition of “indigenous” means a person born within a territory, irre spective of race, and not necessarily aboriginal. Expatriates are those born outside the South Pacific Games region, neither of whose parents was born within the region.
The Papua-New Guinea team at Suva may number 70, according to the Administrator of the Territory, Sir Donald Cleland. In a recent broadcast he said that the overall cost for such a team could be as much as £20,000. Naturally, the final composition of the team would de pend on the amount of money avail able, and the competitive standards reached.
The P-NG Administration will pro vide a subsidy on a £ for £ basis, so that if the full financial objective is reached sporting bodies and the public will have to raise £lO,OOO.