Preparations For Noumea Games head

Noumea Games head Of Schedule

From Fred Dunn, in Noumea.

Preparations for the second uth Pacific Games, to be held

Noumea in December, 1966,

i ahead of schedule and there

; already predictions that the

lole thing will be a feather in 5 cap of the French territory.

HE total cost of building stadium, sports halls, tracks, etc., will be nit 300 million CPF—the equiva t of £A1,500,000. Most of this sum being found by Metropolitan mce and will ensure that after the mes are over, Noumea will be one the best-equipped towns in the rid for sport.

Vork on the main stadium near seaside suburb of Magenta is ad of schedule. The cycle track,, ether with its 2,000-seat stand, is shed and will probably be used this season’s track-racing, which I take place in December, n the main stadium the outside •s, which will seat 4,500, are ,rly finished and the grandstand, ich has 1,000 covered seats and 00 that are not covered, is well anced.

Orainage of the arenas is well ad iced and is expected to be com te by March, 1966. It is hoped t the whole stadium, seating and nas, will be complete by mid -16, which will give six months to elop a good cover of grass.

Near Magenta Airport

'he only real trouble up to date with the proposed flood-lighting. ; stadium is quite near the secon y airport of Magenta and the ined height of the pylons that ry the flood-lights was higher than ►wed by air-safety regulations, •ious solutions to this problem being studied, lie sports-hall is situated right in m-town Noumea and a late start 1 made on its construction. How r. work is now running on sdule and it will be completed by due date.

Construction of the Olympic mming-pool is ahead of schedule. 5 site for this is at the base of

Mt. Ouen Toro, which dominates Noumea’s Anse Vata seaside resort.

Work has started on the seating ar rangements around the pool and the shower and toilet block is finished.

The longest job yet to be done is the landscaping of the park that will surround the swimming centre.

As the work of construction goes on, so does the search for local talent.

A team of selectors has been touring the country districts of New Cale donia and the Loyalty Islands and several “finds” have been reported, especially in the javelin-throwing and high-jump. All young hopefuls are to be given special training.

Fijians Protest At

Sunday Events

METHODIST Fijians may refuse to take part in the Games in Noumea if the French organisers insist on events on Sundays.

More than 90 per cent, indigenous Fijians belong to the Methodist Church. The Fiji Sports Association has protested to the Games organising committee for including several events in Sunday programmes.

The president of the Methodist Church in Fiji, the Rev. Setareki Tuilovoni, said in November that Fijians respected Sunday.