The Pacific Games Council is quite satisfied with the preparation work for the pacific games. PGC President, Mr. Vidhya Lakhan and PGC CEO, Andrew Minogue in March visited Honiara for a series of meetings with government representatives on the games preparation. During their visit, the PGC Executive members also visited the games facilities still under construction. ‘For the facilities, we left in November last year knowing too well, it will be handed over to us or to the GOC well ahead of time. And we are still on schedule in getting all of the facilities well before the opening ceremony. We have been told by the contractors that come August, the major venues will be handed over to us. And further down the track you will get further details on when the handing over will take place’, Lakhan said. He said his team was quite impressed with the amount of work that took place between November 2022 till now. He said the contractors have done a huge amount of work, also working two shifts just to make sure that the facilities are ready in time for the Games.
The Pacific Games competitions will be held across 8 different venues. The National Stadium is the largest of the Sport facilities with a seating capacity of 10,000 people. The National Stadium is a gift from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and constructed by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation Ltd (CCECC). Lakhan said apart from visiting the games facilities, they also resolved some outstanding issues faced by the Games Organizing Committee. He said some key decisions were also made one of which is the host broadcasting rights. ‘An approval was given and some legal issues have to be cleared and NHA will make a statement on that. But that issue was resolved today’, Lakhan said. ‘Pacific Games Council is the rights holder’, Chairman of the National Hosting Authority, Dr. Jimmie Rodgers further added. ‘The Games Organizing Committee is the responsible authority here to consider all the applications and they have made a decision at that level’, Rodgers said.
