They hope to make Games

a tourist success, too

From a special correspondent in Port Moresby

To make sure that the Third South Pacific Games, to be held in Port Moresby in August, 1969, are an outstanding tourist success, as well as an outstanding athletic success, Games’ organisers are attempting to arrange other territory events to coincide. The big hope at present is that the Mount Hagen Show will be held at the same time.

Other events which may be arranged to coincide with the Games are the Rabaul Show and the annual territory Festival of Drama in Lae.

The weather has already been arranged! The Games are being held from August 13 to August 23 —right in the middle of Moresby’s dry season and what the experts insist will be the fairest weather month.

The organisers are confident of a big influx of tourists from Australia, and they are hopeful that they will be able to attract visitors from Japan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Hawaii, New Zealand, the United States and the Continent. Publicity brochures are being sent to these areas in an attempt to interest tourists.

These are big plans and they will take a lot of hard work to realise.

Already, with more than a year t go before the Games, hundreds c volunteers are helping with prepan tions.

Planning and publicity are not th only tasks facing the organisers in th territory. A 50-metre swimming poc and a major games arena are sti under construction.

The specially-constituted Organii ing Committee has named 17 sport it would like to see played at th Games.

Six of these—athletics, swimminj tennis, soccer, Rugby Union an basketball—must be held, but anothe 11 games have been provisional] added by P-NG. These are voile] ball, netball, softball, boxing, weigh lifting, judo, yachting, hockey, tab! tennis, golf and lawn bowls. Finj decision will depend on whether thei are enough entries.

Planning for these events is an in mense—and costly—job.

The cost of the Games to Noume reached a total of $4 million, wil great assistance being given to Ne Caledonia by the French Coven ment.

P-NG lacks the resources of Ne Caledonia, and a shoestring budget < $825,000 has been set for the 19( Games.

Of the $825,000, $150,000 hi been granted by the territory’s A< ministration to be spent before tl Games are held. The rest of tl money must come from public su scription.

Public funds will be collected I the South Pacific Games Trust. Th body will make sure that the mom is raised and spent in the best i terests of the people of the ten tory.

Air Commodore David Beye who has been appointed Executi' Officer of the Trust, says that son of this money will be raised in tl territory, but the great bulk of assis ance will have to be sought froi Australia. And he’s the fund raiser

Two of four stamps featuring frogs which are to be issued by P-NG on April 24.

The stamps are the territory's second flora and fauna conservation issue.