Asaeli Lave

Sports

Vanuatu’s got ’93

VANUATU’S landslide victorv in taking the 1993 Mini Soutn Pacific Games home to Port Vila is likely to result in the staging of the biggest mini games on record.

In its submission at the South Pacific Games Council meeting in Nuku’alofa last month, Vanuatu said it was prepared to host 14 sports.

Nine sports were immediately approved; athletics, soccer, basket ball, tennis, boxing, volleyball, golf, netbal and squash. Vanuatu dele fate, Fanaura Kingstone, a Cook slander working for ESCAP in Port Vila, said the government was giving all its support to the 1993 games.

He said Vanuatu had facilities now to host the games, but improvement would be made to suit newer re

quirements. This was quickly

accepted by the games council as a sort of a guarantee after the worries

over Tonga’s preparation.

Tonga just about managed to

meet their deadline for the 3rd Mini

Games in Nuku’alofa. While grass was growing, there were bold patch es. But the facilities the stadium at Teufaiva Park and the indoor gymnasium at Atele were ready For use. Tonga almost lost the games early this year because they got behind preparing the facilities.

Last November games president Lysis Lavigne arrived in Nuku’alofa to inspect the facilities. He found none. And the games were less than a year away.

After some tough decisions and hard work, Tonga managed to catch

Asaeli Lave

Applause: King Taufa’ahau Tupou and Queen Mata’aho at the opening of the 3rd mini South Pacific Games.

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Ready: the new stadium at Teufaiva Park.

up and the games opened as sche duled on August 22. Nearly 10,000

people, including competitors,

attended the opening at Teufaiva Park. In her opening address, Ton ga Amateur Sports Association pres ident, Princess Pilolevu Tuita, said the Tonga games were first to re ceive the patronage of the Interna tional Olympic Committee. Fifteen countries took part.

There was some sadness at the non-appearance of Wallis and Futu na whose athletes have always dominated the javelin, discus and

shotput events. What happened?

“It’s simple,” said a spokesman, “we have no money”. The French terri tories of New Caledonia and French Polynesia quickly took the lead when competition started. New Caledonia was leading on the medal tally with

French Polynesia following second.

Papua New Guinea was running third. Fiji, once a dominant force in South Pacific Games competition, was trailing. D

Smallest group: Fiji, with golfer Adi Sai Tuivanuavou holding the flag.

Right: French Polynesia.

Western Samoa: power of women.