1969 Games ?

Moresby For

It will come as a big surprise to all those connected with athletics in Papua-New Guinea if Port Moresby isn’t named as the venue for the 1969 South

Pacific Games.

THE committee of five set up by Administrator Sir Donald Cle land to report to him on the com parative suitability of Port Moresby, Lae and Rabaul, has already filed its recommendation, but both Ad ministrator and committee refuse to discuss the findings.

“I’ll announce the venue for the games when I’m ready,” said Sir Donald testily at a Thursday morn ing Press conference after having been pressed on the question foi weeks.

And, he added, the recommenda tion from the committee need not necessarily be accepted.

A probable venue for the Games has been under discussion since P NG offered to play host for the 1969 games at Suva in September last year.

From the outset Rabaul, Lae and Port Moresby athletics officials have been shouting the respective merits of their existing sporting facilities.

Or if they haven’t had much of which to boast they have pointed to the ease with which facilities could be provided.

Lae argued that Moresby just

didn’t have a track big enough or with suitable spectator facilities to match its new Showgrounds; Rabaul argued against Moresby in much the same way and was quick to add that it had greater accommodation poten tial than Lae.

Both Lae and Moresby said that Rabaul was too distant from major airports.

Moresby’s strongest arguments against the other two towns have been that their weather in August is too unreliable, that it could pro vide more paying spectators and that its accommodation facilities were more adequate.

Surrounded by this tangle of argu ments the committee—Central Dis trict Commissioner Mr. R. Galloway, President of P-NG’s South Pacific Games Association Mr. Reg John stone, ex-Morobe District Commis sioner Mr. H. L. R. Niall, Rabaul sporting official Major Don Barrett and Works planning officer Mr. Eric Flower—set out to examine the argu ments.

They have heard submissions in Port Moresby, Lae and Rabaul.

Eruptions?

One factor which is believed to have strongly influenced them against recommending Rabaul is the fear that seismic disturbance could over night wreck any athletic circuits and tracks built there to international standards.

Apparently the advice of Adminis tration vulcanologists was sought about this.

There can be little doubt they found Lae has the most suitable track now in the Territory, but like

both other towns under review, it lacks a suitable swimming pool.

Administrator Sir Donald Cleland has often said Administration was anxious to establish the most suit able venue as quickly as possible so that Works and Treasury Depart ments could begin planning and budgeting.

“We want to spread the cost of staging the games over the next five years,” he said.

All official statements so far have indicated that neither the Adminis tration nor experienced athletics officials consider any existing grounds suitable for such a prestigious event.

It is almost certain funds will be made available for the construction of an athletics stadium of inter national standard.

And it is almost just as certain it will be in Port Moresby—either on the Hurbert Murray Reserve, near Administration headquarters at Kone dobu, or at Murray Barracks.

But the site for a swimming pool remains a mystery.

Wide Interest Again While New Guinea and New Caledonia (see opposite) discuss Games sites, many South Seas terri tories have already embarked on training programmes for the next Games.

The most enthusiastic programme was begun in the Cook Islands in March, when athletes began work for 1966 on courses marked out on the airstrip at Rarotonga.

The Cook Islands plan in future to have training meetings every Sat urday afternoon, using new equip ment bought especially for Games training. The equipment includes javelins, shots and discus.

The Cook Islanders are also get ting into training for the marathon, which is something these islanders excel at. They had no chance to demonstrate their skill in Suva be cause the marathon was cancelled, although it will be on the list for the 1966 programme.

The Cook Islands won two gold medals and three silver at Suva—a remarkable record in proportion to the size of the team it fielded. One of the silver medals waj for the 5,000 metres.

Port Moresby, capital of Papua-New Guinea, which could be the site for the South Pacific Games in 1969. It is not as populated as Noumea but it is prob ably more widespread as a town.