remember
pp. 32-33 · Read in the full issue
An event to remember
By Hanoi Kumar
GUAM did shine in 1999! NOT much the pomp and colour ... amidst the competitive spirit lay what many would savour most about the 11th South Pacific
Games in Guam.
The heart warm
ing reception by the
hosts will long linger in the minds of those who converged on the tiny island for what is dubbed as the “Olympics of the island countries”
“It may not be the perfect Games but it will be the best we can offer,” Guam
National Olympic
Committee president Rick Bias said prior to the opening.
He was reflecting on the eleventh hour
struggle they endured
in making it all hap pen having just recovered from the
Supertyphoon in mid 1997 which all but sank their hopes of staging the Games.
The Governor of Guam Hon Carl Gutirezz could not hide his emotions on the night of June 12 when the curtains fell
at the John F Kennedy High School in Turnon.
“This is unbelivable, we did it and I am proud of each and everyone of you who help put this all together,” he addressed his peo ple in a moving speech.
The lead-up
and the 14
daysof com
petition involving the 20 island countries is
now history
- historic not only for the winners, historic not for the first timers, nei ther for it
being the
last Games of the mil lennium.
Even more for the peo ple of Guam who sacri ficed more
than anybody else in pulling it all together “in just four months” or so said Hon Gutrirezz during the opening.
Many feared the worst but it was not to be. Guamanians stood tall and proud at the
end of day.
Hearts went out to the hundreds of vol unteers, many of who took leave from work for the duration of the Games to give in the hours at the various centres.
The start was rather shaky with the delay mainly in the processing of creden tials. It wasn’t really a “big deal” and soon all was forgotten as the ball was set
rolling.
The US currency got the better of many of the visitors but again it was just “hush, hush”. The Guam hospitality was indeed overwhelming exactly or, if not better, than how Hon Gutirezz quoted a visitor: “The Polynesians and the South Islands are known for their great hospital ity but you have taken that to a greater
height”.
They had done just that! The visitors were all but given a red-carpet treatment for many it was home away from home.
“Hafa Adai (Hello), welcome to Guam,” you’d be greeted by the caring and ever so friendly locals who were for ever willing to lend a helping hand to those in need.
Different villagers entertained the dif ferent teams on the lone non-competition day of Sunday June 6th and the athletes and offcials had a great time out.
The opening and the closing were great spectacles at the J F K Field named after the late former US president.
The cultrual dances and the 10 minute fireworks display was breathtaking, a joy to be part of.
The initial US $6 million budget for the Games was reduced after the natural disaster and Bias estimated over SUS 4million on the setup.
Money well spent.
From the average person to the Gover nor himself, they all appeared to have on thing in mind - to give the best Guam could offer and, without doubt, as they’d anticipated, Guam did shine in 1999.
To top off their effort, Bias was appointed the new South Pacific Games Council chairman entering the next Games in Suva, Fiji in 2003. ■
Country
Gold Silver Bronze Total New Caledonia 72 54 44 170
Fiji
33 32 37 102 Nauru 27 8 7 42 Tahiti 25 18 34 77
Png
19 31 34 84 Samoa 19 9 4 32 Guam 14 32 26 72 A Samoa 7 3 5 15
Fsm
4 2 6 12 Solomons 3 6 12 21 Wallis & Futuna 3 6 11 20 Vanuatu 2 8 12 22 Marianas 2 6 8 16 Tonga 2 3 10 15 Norfolk 1 - 1 2 Palau - 7 3 10 Kiribati - 3 3 6 Marshalls - 2 5 7 Cooks Islands . 1 . 1