Islanders sort themselves out, with only

six months to the Papeete Games

• Only six months to go to the Fourth South Pacific Games at Papeete and just about all the Islands terri tories have their problems as the pace of preparation mounts. A meeting between Tahiti and Fiji was almost abandoned, New Guinea has lost some of its best swimmers, Tonga is having transport problems, and Tahiti is hard at work getting things ready.

A combined athletics and swim ming meeting between Fiji and Tahiti, providing valuable experience for both territories in preparation for the South Pacific Games in Tahiti, was almost abandoned in February because of an unfortunate breakdown in arrangements.

According to Fiji reports, the meeting was first proposed by Fiji in April last year, but it was not until last November that Tahiti agreed to send a team to Suva for a February contest.

When acceptance came through, the Fiji Amateur Athletic Associ ation and the Fiji Swimming Asso ciation went ahead with arrange ments.

Then the Tahiti authorities an nounced their intention of flying their 36 athletes and eight swim mers in a French military DC6. But they had no diplomatic clearance to fly a military aircraft into Fiji and there was also some concern in Fiji that Qantas or UTA might object to a military plane flying civilians on their air route.

The meeting was cancelled. And then it was on again. UTA and Qantas agreed to the flight and diplo matic clearance came through. The Tahiti team was due in on February 23.

It was also announced in Fiji in February that Fiji’s team at the Games would be managed by Mr.

Derek Robinson, secretary of the Fiji Rugby Union. He also heads a committee to raise funds to send the team.

Each participating sport will have one representative on the commit tee. Each sport will aim for a tar get of SF2OO per representative and will be responsible for raising its own funds. The remainder of the money will be raised by the central fund-raising committee.

Mr. L. R. Martin has been re elected president of the Fiji Amateur Sports Association. Captain Stan Brown is senior vice-president. The four other vice-presidents are Derek Robinson, Mr. Don Dunckley, Mr.

Edmund March and Miss Ruth

Lechte. Mr. Brian Wightman is sec retary and Mr. Jack Naidu treasurer.

Fijian Samu Yavala won the Auckland provincial 400 metres championship in New Zealand in February. Fie clocked 47.25, lower ing his own personal best time of 47.8 s by .6s.

His new time was .2s outside the Auckland record held by New Zea lander Barry Robinson and .3s out side the NZ record held by Kenyan runner Charles Asati, who is Com monwealth 400 metres champion.

Fiji’s Miriama Kadavu, gold medal winner in the 1969 Games long jump, is now reportedly clear ing a consistent 18ft 6in in NZ, and once returned 18ft Biin. She’ll be pretty hard to out-jump in Tahiti.

Peceli Kina, the Fiji field events athlete who recently went to Auck land for training with Yavala, has ben training hard at the Western Suburbs Athletic Club, and is learn ing much from some of the top rank NZ discus experts.

Two Fiji track stars who look certain of gold medals at the Games are Saimoni Tamani and Usaia Sotuto, under training at the moment at Brigham Young Univers ity, Utah, U.S. Mr. Willard Hirschi, assistant coach at the university, considers 'that Saimoni, who re cently ran 55.8 s for the 500 yards on boards, is world class. He also thought Usaia might “surprise with the type of training he is getting at

Byu”.

Saimoni took the 400 metres and 800 metres golds at the Port Moresby Games in 1969, while Usaia took the 10,000 metres and the 3,000 metres steeplechase.

Swimming set-back

for New Guinea

New Guinea’s swimming chances at the Games took a blow in Febru ary with announcements that Neal Bostock and Nigel Cluer would not compete, and Kevin Peni was a doubtful starter.

Bostock, who took the 400 metres freestyle gold in Moresby, is leaving to go to university in Brisbane, and Cluer, with 100 metres backstroke, 200 metres breaststroke and 200 metres individual medley golds at Moresby, has already gone to America.

To train a team of 12 from what is left of the territory swimmers, two coaches have been appointed.

They are Joe Kuth, coach at the last Games, and Mrs. Jenny Russell, Boroko swimming instructress.

Tonga will

play Rugby

News from Tonga is that, after all, a Rugby team will be sent to the Games. Last year Tonga an nounced, following Fiji’s decision not to send a team, that it would also not be represented in Rugby (PIM, Aug., p. 37). However, the Tonga Rugby Football Union president, Mr. Lupeti Finau, said in February that the team would go— providing that Tonga’s latest vessel, the renamed Olovaha, was available to take them.

The Tongan Rugby side has a busy time ahead. In 1972 Fiji tours Tonga, 1973 Tonga tours Australia, and 1974 Tonga tours Wales, Rumour has it, though, that both

Rugby and basketball have lost favour in Tonga since King Taufa’a hau began encouraging soccer, and his daughter, Princess Pilolevu, volley ball. But the Tongans are in experienced at both new sports as yet.

Priority for the Games is being given to those who have the best chance of winning medals. Athletes and boxers have been in training since early this year and are pro gressing well. Keta longi, who won four gold medals at Port Moresby, may contest different additional

events in Tahiti, and she should be very hard to beat.

The 1971 Tongan championships will be commencing shortly, and should be closely contested. Most established boxers will be competing, as well as those newly registered.

New sports at the Games, soccer, volley ball and underwater fishing, have attracted a lot of interest in Tonga, but it looks as though the financial situation will dictate that, not including Rugby, only 15 con testants will represent Tonga.

Everything smooth

in Papeete

Finally, in Papeete itself, work on preparing sporting facilities is go ing well. Fautaua Stadium has had a facelift and will sport new dress ing room facilities and stands for 1,500 under cover. In addition, the cycling track is being completely re made, five new tennis courts are be ing built with a modern clubhouse, and a multi-sport area is under way.

Competing in these top-class con ditions, the territory teams will face a formidable array of French Poly nesian athletes performing on their

home ground. French Polynesia’s best performances for 1970 were: SENIOR MEN; 100 metres, 11.25, Alexandre Aunoa; 200 metres, 23.65, Alexandre Aunoa; 400 metres, 53.25, Jean Tetuanui; 800 metres, 2m 5.65, Michel Paillie; 1,500 metres, 4m 39.05, Michel Faille; 5,000 metres, 17m 25.95, Villemin; 400 metres hurdles, 1m 0.75, Jean Tetuanui; 110 metres hurdles, 15.85, John Salmon; 400 metres relay, 45.55, J. Salmon, A. Maurin, S. Ella cott, M. Thunot; high jump, 1.95 metres, John Salmon; broad jump, 6.48 metres, John Salmon; hop, skip and jump, 12.61 metres, Pierre Chun; shotput, 12.44 metres, Alfeo Pihatarioe; discus, 32.55 metres, Steven Vairaaroa; javelin, 49.91 metres, Preaudat.

SENIOR WOMEN: 100 metres, 13s, Dominique Chaze; 200 metres, 27.65, Dominique Chaze; 400 metres, 1m 7.95, Francoise Roche; 800 metres, 2m 49.35, Francoise Roche; 400 metres hurdles, 565, E.

Lehartel, E. Temahahe, M. Drollet, Y. Harry; high jump, 1.52 metres, Yvonne Harry; broad jump, 4.91 metres, Yvonne Harry; shotput, 10.13 metres, Claude Maitere; discus, 31.34 metres, Claude Mai tere; javelin, 33.73 metres, Yamial Dehors.