CI Games date set

The Cook Islands Games will be staged this year at the same time as the annual Te Maeva Nui Constitution celebrations, in order to net in all the outer islanders on Rarotonga for the festivities.

CISNOC sports manager Robert Graham says that plans for the games are still being firmed up, however what is confirmed is that the sporting event will be contested by all the outer islands and the three vaka districts on Rarotonga.

Currently 18 codes are on the long list of sports that teams will compete in, but this is likely to be reduced significantly as there must be a minimum of six teams per code for it to run.

Graham says that they are also targeting sports that the Cook Islands will compete in at the 2013 Pacific Mini Games to be hosted by Wallis and Fortuna.

The Cook Islands Games will run from July 20 to August 4 and will include a day of traditional games to tie in with the cultural festivities during the Te Maeva Nui period.

Graham says that they are in talks with the Ministry of Cultural Development and national sports federations to confirm the programme for the games which should be finalised a month out from the start of the event.