Publicise Games

All-Out Effort To

By Don Barrett

The organising committee for the Third South Pacific Games is doing all it can to publicise the Games, and Papua-New Guinea

In May, a promotional team paid a 12-day visit to Canberra, Mel bourne, Sydney and Brisbane. The team included Rabaul athlete Peter Tavip, a member of NG’s silver medal winning 4x4 metres relay team at Noumea; Miss Rose Kekedo, a lec turer at Madang Teachers’ Training College and Miss Anna Tuger, a young Bougainville student.

The team made television ap pearances, gave radio interviews and received newspaper coverage. In Canberra the team learnt that Mr.

A, Favereau, French Ambassador to Australia, would attend the Games opening ceremony.

It was also confirmed that Senator Reg Wright, Minister for Works and Tourism, would represent Australia.

Organising committee director of publicity Norman Steele said interest in the Games was considerable once people knew “what they were all about”.

Only a few people contacted during the visit had heard of the Games before the publicity drive but Australian sporting bodies had given and continued to give maximum sup port to the Games, he said.

In Melbourne the team met Julius Patching, Australia’s manager at the Mexico Olympics and special con sultant for the Games.

Former Australian Olympian Kevan Gosper, now a senior executive with the Shell Company, said he planned to be in Moresby for the Games and offered his services to the committee.] In Sydney the team met former world champion swimmer John Devitt who said that Australian swimmers are taking “a keen interest” in the Games.

Visits to Sydney of volleyball teams from New Caledonia and the planned tour of Fijian Rugby Union players will stimulate interest later on.

Choice of the Fireball as the Games competition yacht was sup ported by yachting writers in Sydney who said that the likely prevailing south-east winds at Moresby should mean spectacular racing.

Meanwhile, Games preparations at Moresby continue apace. . . .

Unseen work such as transport ar rangements, final menus for villages, and stockpiling of sporting equip ment, now occupy much time.

In Australia from P-NG to publicise the South Pacific Games, from left, Mr. Don Barrett, Mr. Norman Steele and Miss Rose Kekedo, talk with the Australian Minister for Works and Tourist Activities, Senator R. Wright, at a Press reception in Canberra.