No Sunday events in ’19 Pacific Games

There will be no Sunday events in the 2019 Pacific Games in Tonga as organizers chose to return to the old ways of not holding matches on the seventh day of the week.

According to a Fiji Times report, organizers of the XVI Pacific Games, which will be held for the first time in Nuku’alofa, said they had already informed the Pacific Games Council of their plan.

The XV Pacific Games in Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea last July will be the last time that Sunday events will be held.

Former Tonga Prime Minister Lord Savale, who is the Tonga Pacific Games Organizing Committee chief executive officer, said that it was one of the issues discussed by the PGC during its last meeting.

“One of the issues asked of us the other day was what our response would be about sports on Sunday. We’ve decided that we’d go back to the traditional way we’ve been running the Pacific Games,” said Savale.

Savale added that all participating athletes and officials in the quadrennial Games should reserve Sundays for rest and relaxation.

“For Sunday we’ll allow everybody to rest or go to the beach but there will be no sport played on Sundays when you’re in Tonga,” said Savele.

All activities in Tonga stop starting at 12 midnight of Sunday and to 12 midnight on Monday. Tonga is a predominantly Protestant island-nation and strictly observes the Sabbath, which is declared sacred in their constitution.

Savale said Tonga’s government, under King Tupou VI, assured all member nations that they are committed to host and deliver a successful Pacific Games in July 2019. “And we’re looking forward to seeing all nations in Tonga.”

Tonga has proposed holding athletics, baseball, bodybuilding, cricket, volleyball (beach and indoor) field hockey, football, golf, judo, lawn bowls, lawn tennis, netball, powerlifting, rugby league nines, softball, surfing, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, triathlon, and va’a.

Organizers are also thinking of including boxing, rugby 7s, and weightlifting that were not part of the sports when they bid to host the Games.

Most of the venues for the 2019 Pacific Games are within walking distance that’s why organizers coined the term the “walking games” for the 16th edition of the sporting event.

Upgrades are also expected at the Teufaiva Stadium, Lototonga Football Complex, and ‘Atele Indoor Stadium. An aquatic center is also planned to be built at Lototonga.