Concerns venues not ready for Games

PORT MORESEBY – There is concern in Papua New Guinea over the readiness of venues for the 2015 Pacific Games due to start next month.

Papua New Guinea Opposition leader Don Polye has called on Sports Minister Justin Tkatchenko to defer the Games by a month or two. Last month Polye said the opposition supported the government in hosting the Games but they needed to be realistic and not mislead the public. He made the call after seeing slow progress in completing the host venues.

“Some companies are not paid their dues and waiting for cash flow to improve to get their funding,” Polye said.

“I doubt we are going to be able to host the Games in July. We might probably need to shift the Games back by one or two months so you can get all the jobs done so we have a good Pacific Games,” Polye said. However Tkatchenko is adamant that the Games will be on as scheduled from July 4 to 18 and said that neither he nor Prime Minister Peter O’Neill were misleading the people of PNG about the Games.

“We will be Games-ready with our facilities for the Pacific nations to open on July 4,” Tkatchenko said.

“We will have this Games ready. The best Games the Pacific has ever seen.

“I appreciate the suggestion in moving the Games to another date but unfortunately we’ve got a set date and that’s July 4 because everything revolves around that and we have to make sure everything is ready by then. “The most important thing is that even with the rainy weather, people are working as we speak and bills are being paid on time.”

Tkatchenko reiterated his call to Polye in visiting the facilities for himself into which the state had pumped more than a billion kina.“We are making sure that what ever money is made available by the National Government is getting across to contractors of the Pacific Games,” he said on May 13 during a radio talkback show.

However, on June 1, the Post-Courier newspaper reported that major venues would not be ready for sports it is scheduled to be hosting. “The Sir Hubert Murray Stadium will not be ready to host the nominated sports that will be played there,” journalist Kevin Teme reported.

Sir Hubert Murray Stadium was built in 1969 when PNG first hosted the South Pacific Games. The Stadium is being redeveloped into an 18,000 seat multi-purpose Stadium.

It will host the Rugby 9s, Rugby 7s and Soccer finals.

“While the Minister for Sports and Pacific Games Justin Tkatchenko has been giving assurance that the work will be completed in time and ready for use, this will not be the case with all those designated sports moved back to the Bisini Oval,” Teme said. “Sadly, Bisini is believed to be constructed quickly due to the race against time and that the seating arrangement can now only cater forty seating according to experts.

“With huge following in soccer and touch footy many may not have the chance to watch or sit well to watch their favourite sport being played there.

“It is confirmed now that for soccer – with both men and women’s events that will form part of the Olympic Qualifying matches – will be played at Bisini as well as touch football, while rugby union that hosts its games there is now set to be held at the outer venue of the Sir John Guise Stadium.”

“Inside sources revealed to this paper that a lot of money had been spent by the government on infrastructures to help prepare the 2015 Pacific Games but nothing had to be seen particularly in some venues like Bisini oval where its capacity is now a major concern for many.

“It was also revealed that the Sir Hubert Murray stadium will not be ready in time – however chances are that it can be ready to allow the closing ceremony which is set on July 18 to be held there.

“With less than a month away before the opening ceremony, Sir Hubert Murray stadium will not be hosting any games there.

“It is also believed that the grass being planned in each venue will take up to three months before its in use and will need a lot of work to look after according to soil experts. “The soil experts who didn’t want to be named also confirmed that Sir Hubert Stadium will not be ready as the grass was just being planted and it can only allow for the finals or the closing ceremony to be held given the time frame.”