Guam Officials Squabble As The
pp. 13-14 · Read in the full issue
Islands Tune Up For The Games
the gathering in Guam is threatened by a major split between Ted Nelson, president of the Games Council, and Joe Paulino, who resigned in March as South Pacific Games Commission director of organisation PanHnr. oii A „ o ,i • . f .
Nelson, a charge denfed byNdson! and committees mission stall » , . . . . • t , le jf lslative committee, originally mended to explore the backgrounds or tour appointments to the Games commission, finished up delving into Panlinnffi. between Nelson and Hiding ’evidenc e e an fr B om various' wT nesses. During this evidence, Paulino smd he estimated that another $BOO,OOO would be needed from the wliat e-er‘he rights an d wrongs o( the squabble, it was unfortunate it should occur with the Games so close. For many months it looked as though they would be a sporting flop so little information came from Guam.’
However, Pebrnarv, ...r.
'£“rf‘ "T"
SaSn 0^? ¥ r Budy
ernn? ’lUr*S?Ju beha i! f ° f the Gov ' Bo .^ dalI + 0 ’ , who was absent, u^ da dlr^ c lve to department heads 5° 1 :° the Games * He asked each department to make specific commitmenf anl materia ' S ’ eqUip ‘ c P®. Geor f . Washin Ston High School was asked to provide housing tor the men > and the Agueda Johnston Junior High School for the women. Other education institutions were asked to provide back-up facilities and Games sites.
The Governor’s Games Commis f h h ® aded ( by Mr ™ ian ,f«eo.
The headquarters is in Mangilao. A television series; about the Games The . pro '
he "X* Seiko 'wiTpro
vide electronic timing equ’ipmenf at next to no cost aM timing devices and at least 10 tprhnicians Tfip wfimViun mi • ecb ' Guam onPul! 1 Can,,. .
■”* While final selections may not be ™ ad ? Ul \ aS , late July ’ teams are starting to take shape. Most partici patmg countries are using normal sporting fixtures plus trials, and special events to help in team selec tion. * COUntries American Samoa.—This should be one of the best-managed and best coached teams at the Games with one official for every 2i competitors. The s °-strong team will comprise 10 boxers, 12 volleyballers, 12 basket bailers (men), four judo men, seven golfers (four men and three women),
££. wdlte "mana-'
gers, coaches and “others”
Fiji.—The team will probablv nnm her a few less than 100. Fiji confi ?°tu,u - a distance runner His per- [ ormances U P *° 5,000 metres have been ., outstanding. Joe Roden is a P oss, bdity as a hurdler. Recently, at Buckhurst Park, Suva, he won the r°° m ? tr < e . s /) hurdles >n the Fiji record
Ag an a, Guam's attractive capital , which will be host to t he l arg e st cos m opolitan crowd o f Islanders it's ever seen when the Fifth south Pacific Games get under way on August 1.
Guam games tune-up
outstanding light-middleweight, Jovesa Keresi, decided to turn professional.
Micronesia. The Micronesian Sports Council is entering a team for the first time. A four-man committee will visit each district to watch the best athletes perform. The following have been appointed head coaches: Marc Walton (softball), Alan Steed (basketball), Steve Remley (volley ball), Don Schuster (track and field events), Kurt Barnes (women’s track and field events), Bill Sakovich (swimming) and Cindy Giorgis (women’s swimming).
New Caledonia. —Final selections have yet to be made, but the swim ming team could include Eric Verla guet, Thierry and Patrick Legras, Andre Mouren (who is studying in France), Daniele Maussion, Beatrice Godard and Francoise Calla. There will be a better idea of who will be in the team about the end of May, after a visit by New Zealand swim mers.
Prospects for the athletics team are distance runner Alain Lazare, a dis tinct medal hope, and Martial Bone, Lelesio Tuito and Penisio Lutui in the field events.
New Hebrides. —Thanks to generous financial assistance from the French Government, a team of 55 will be sent. Plans are to send 20 footballers, 10 to 12 netballers, five or six boxers, two golfers and 10 athletes (five men and five women).
Papua New Guinea. —The team of about 200 will be one of the biggest, if not the biggest, in Guam. The size of the team ensures Papua New Guinea should take home several medals. Recently, distance runner John Kokinai, covered the 10,000 metres in 32 min 31.4 sec on a heavy track. Another recent good perform ance was by sprinter Wavala Kali, who ran the 100 metres in 11.1 sec. and the 400 metres in 50.9 sec, Wallace Hofagao, who had to with draw from the 1974 Commonwealth Games team because of injury, could well represent PNG in the 1,500 metres.
The 1975 PNG swimming cham pionships at Port Moresby showed that there is plenty of talent from which to choose a strong team.
Twenty new national records were set up. The swimming team could include Chris White, Marlene Rau, Michelle Capon, Paul Sinclair, Lorene Moyle, Bill Woolhouse, Gala Moi, Mark Hutchings, and Charlie and Donald Martin, The PNG Yachting Association will choose a team of two or three Fire balls to go to Guam. Other yachting competitors are expected to be Fiji,
American Samoa, New Caledonia and French Polynesia.
A managerial team of five has been named —Sam Pinau, chairman of the National Broadcasting Commission, chief of mission; Jack Pini, general team manager; Dr Alan Hutchinson, team doctor; Les Bridges, physio therapist; and Bette Pini, team secre tary.
Solomon Islands. —The team will be at least 90, and at the most 104.
Of likely aspirants for medals, sprin ters are closest to international stan dards. The best times for the sprinters are below the South Pacific Games records, but that does not mean the Solomons’ sprinters will be outclassed.
Their best times were recorded on rough and bumpy grass tracks, while the French Polynesians have fast tracks. Jasper Anisi (100 metres) and Valentine Wale (200 and 400 metres) are capable of improvement, and each could pick up a medal. But they will first have to make the team, for they are closely pressed by Benedict Esi beia, Felix Kalinomae, Thomas Kama, Casper Luiramo and Robert Kimisi. A strong relay team will be fielded.
Tonga. —The team will be small, but will include several medal chances. One of these is Sanitesi Latu, a leading athlete, now living in Mel bourne, who has been asked to make himself available. Losaline Faka’ata has been asked to continue her shot put and discus training. But Sione Peau Haukinima, who performed well during the recent Suva athletics championships when he won the 800 and 3,000 metres, has said he is will ing to represent Fiji, if he is not con sidered for Tonga. He has been run ning well, and recently bettered the time of 10 min 34.6 sec which earned him fifth place in the 3,000 metres at Papeete in 1971. A small boxing team will be chosen after a series of trials.
Wallis and Futuna. —The team is expected to number about 40, includ ing officials. The star could be Tuita, 32-year-old javelin thrower, who is in line to win his fourth gold medal. Wallis and Futuna will be represented in boxing, athletics, weightlifting, cycling, volleyball and spear fishing. The javelin throwers and boxers expect to have pipe-openers in Fiji and Samoa before going to Guam.
Western Samoa. —The president of the Amateur Weightlifting Associa tion, Mr Asi Eikeni, forecasts seven gold medals and two silver medals for the team of nine weightlifters. The team will be headed by Paul Wall work, who won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Christ church in 1974. Four of the weight lifters are SP Games gold medallists —Otto Ah Aiu, P. Leung Wai, S.
Petelo and T. Amato.