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3 submit bid to save 2019 Pacific Games
French Polynesia, Guam, and Samoa are hoping to bring the 2019 Pacific Games to their shores, informing the Pacific Games Council of their interest to host the 16th edition of the quadrennial sporting event.
The council set a July 31 deadline with the three island nations stepping up after original host Tonga’s withdrawal last May citing finances and the concern of the cost in maintaining the sports facilities after the Games.
PGC chief executive officer Andrew Minogue said the council was pleased with the immediate response of other member nations.
Fiji, a week after Tonga’s withdrawal, also expressed interest while the council offered the hosting to Papua New Guinea, but they turned it down since they just hosted the Games in 2015 and turned the baton over to Tonga in the closing ceremonies.
However, it was only the three island nations that expressed their readiness to take over the hosting rights.
“The PGC is delighted with this response and thank the three [Pacific Games associations] for stepping forward with their intention to host the 2019 Pacific Games,” said Minogue in a statement.
“Delivering a strong vote of confidence in the importance of the Games and the benefits of hosting them. The three expressions of interest contain varying levels of detail as well as varying levels of financial commitments from their respective governments.”
He added the PGC executive board would review the documents each submitted by the three nations and would also conduct site visits if needed before choosing the alternative host either by the end of the month or early September.
French Polynesia and Guam had already hosted the Games twice with the former holding it in Papeete in 1971 and 1995. Samoa was the Pacific Games hosts in 2007.
It would be favorable for the CNMI if ever Guam earns the right of hosting the Pacific Games. The Games were held in Tumon in 1975 and in Santa Rita in 1999.
