Planners Get On With It

And In New Guinea, Games

From DON BARRETT, in Rabaul Organisers of the Third South Pacific Games in Port Moresby are determined the event will be remembered as more than just a coming together of athletes from the Islands. Old and new art of Papua and New Guinea will be on display.

All the territory’s 142 local govern ment councils have been invited to contribute genuine old artifacts for a display to be directed by famous Aus tralian artist William Dargie.

But it will be a display with a difference. It’s not designed to rival what the territory’s museum offers.

It is a display to interest visitors and prompt them to visit areas from which the artifacts come.

Young educated men and women will be on hand to explain exhibits.

Object—to give information and stimulate interest among younger people in old cultures which are fast disappearing in many places.

Ambitious scheme

Most ambitious scheme is to erect models of famed structures such as a Sepik haus tamber an and a Tro briand yam house.

Nightly, at a floodlit arena on Fla Beach, while the Games are on (ex cept for opening and closing days), groups will perform traditional dances, choirs will sing and tableaux will be staged.

To further interest villagers—and stimulate the younger to follow old cultures —a territory-wide contest for carving, weaving, pottery-making, etc., is being arranged.

Local government councils will select best entries and these will go to Moresby and be shown with the artifacts.

Competition conditions are all work must have been done in the past two years. The scope is wide, the prizes generous, with a special prize in each of the six sections for artists under 25.

Traditionally at the Games visiting team general managers are presented with an object representative of the art of the host territory.

To add flavour to this each of NG’s 18 districts will supply one

gift. The Duke and Duchess of Kent will be asked to each accept a gift.

The presentations at the Games opening will be made by a young girl representing the gift’s district.

Her name, village and district, and the story of the gift will be broad cast in English, French, Pidgin and Police Motu.

School children are not forgotten.

A special essay competition for all children in upper primary and high schools is under way, jointly spon sored by the organising committee and NG’s Department of Education.

The subject—“ What the Third South Pacific Games means to NG”.

As well the General Cariappa art contest, a feature of schooling since the former Indian High Commis sioner to Australia presented a com petition shield, will have its final entries judged in Moresby.

It’s almost certain that these will be included in the display.

Finally to give a true South Pacific flavour, other territories are being in vited to contribute display material of their own.

The acting Secretary-General of the South Pacific Commission has already indicated a commission exhibit, mainly pictorial and showing SPC activities, will be along.

Something truly Papuan is being arranged by the Motuan people—a canoe regatta, sailed on Fairfax and Moresby Harbours. The organisers hope to attract scores of canoes, per haps as far away as Daru, near the West Irian border. This will be on Sunday, when there is no sport.

Another event for Games Sunday is an outdoor combined church service with all churches taking part. In the main arena, the organisers are confident of a gathering of 5,000 or more to this.

Sport will be King at Games time, but hosts are confident there will be few idle, and no boring, hours for competitors or spectators.