A dome from China should be over the Tupapa Netball court by the end of this month, says George “Maggie” Angene.

Angene, who was re-elected into Parliament for Tupapa–Maraerenga in the August 1 general election, said the dome was a gift from China.

In mid-December there would be an official opening of the dome which would include a Chinese representative coming from New Zealand, landowners, the country’s netball president and the netball vice president, he said.

“The relationship between the Cook Islands and China remains and is strong,” Angene said.

Angene secured the dome after visiting Zhuhai – “a sister city to Rarotonga” – in 2018 with then deputy prime minister Mark Brown, who is now the Prime Minister.

Angene said the mayor of the city asked what they could do for the village and he asked for the dome. The dome was meant to be built in 2019 but was put on hold because of Covid-19.

The “Action Man” said the idea for the dome dated back to 2010 after he put huts around the side of the Tupapa Rugby Field.

“I remembered the girls in the netball court when it rains, nobody cared or tried to find something for them.”

The dome is pre-built and comes in parts which Angene said had already arrived on the island.

Earlier in Parliament, Angene said he was going to inquire if each village in the Cook Islands could be given a dome.

“I’m going to wait to see if the Chinese agree with me to get the domes.”

Angene said the name of the dome was “Sky” based on Genesis 1:8, “where God names the dome above the earth Sky”.