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Pacific Games Council meeting postponed
Pacific Games Council president Vidya Lakhan, right, and chief executive officer Andrew Minogue listen to the discussion about the 2021 Pacific Mini Games during their visit on Saipan last year. (Saipan Tribune)
Pacific Games Council chief executive officer Andrew Minogue has confirmed the postponement of the PCG board meeting in Guam next month due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event, which is set for April 12 and 13, would have coinceded with the Oceania National Olympic Committees’ annual general assembly. No new dates have been set for the two meetings.
“The ONOC meeting scheduled for mid-April has been postponed. The PGC were due to have a board meeting in Guam at that time and that too is now postponed. Travel for anything right now is not possible,” said Minogue.
Although the PGC official did not mention the agenda for their postponed meeting, two major competitions—the 2021 Pacific Mini Games on Saipan and the 2023 Pacific Games in Solomon Islands—are expected to top the list.
Minogue met with the Sol2023 National Hosting Authority members in Honiara early this month to address the growing concerns about the Pacific Games at this time of global crisis, according to a Solomon Islands’ online publication, The Island Sun.
Minogue, according to the report, admitted that pandemic will definitely slow down the preparation for the Pacific Games, but he believes the host islands will have enough time to get things done for the quadrennial event.
As for the 2021 Pacific Mini Games here, Minogue said “the PGC will, of course, offer the CNMI government every opportunity to focus on its own recovery efforts as the top priority.”
The Commonwealth has no reported COVID-19 case yet, but has felt the impact of the pandemic since last month, as the government focuses its efforts and resources on preventing the potential spread of the virus.
Minogue, who also had to postpone his return visit to Saipan next month, added that the PGC annual general assembly scheduled here on Sept. 11 and 12 is pending.
