Games on time

 PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill is determined Papua New Guinea will deliver all its facilities before next year’s Pacific Games despite construction work being two years behind schedule.

O’Neill made the vow during the official opening of the renovated swimming pool at Taurama Barracks yesterday where he fired the starter’s gun to see members of the national swimming team off into the 25-metre pool.

“This is an example of what the government can do although we are two years behind,” O’Neill said in front of soldiers, their families and guests, which included Defence Minister Dr Fabian Pok, Minister for Sports and 2015 Pacific Games Justin Tkatchenko, Defence Secretary John Poti and Brigadier-General Gilbert Toropo.

Despite O’Neill’s frankness, Pacific Games chief executive officer Peter Stewart said over the weekend all other preparations for the event were on schedule, including the transport, volunteers, anti-doping measures and catering.

Stewart said the Pacific Games Council headed by Vidhya Lakhan had toured the venues last week and were satisfied that the organisers could meet the May deadline.

O’Neill, who was given a rousing welcome, said the renovated pool was an indication of the government’s commitment in delivering all the facilities at next July’s event.

The K3 million swimming pool will used for training in preparation for the Games and will be handed over to the PNG Defence Force after.

Last week, Tkatchenko and Lakhan attended the opening of the High Performance Training Centre at 4-Mile built at a cost of K870,000.

The Taurama pool will be managed by the Papua New Guinea Sports Foundation and the force in a partnership that will benefit soldiers in their physical training.

“We have shown we are capable of rebuilding infrastructure and today we are witnessing one of our infrastructure being delivered,” O’Neill said.

He said the opening of the swimming – a long overdue renovation – “shows what the government can achieve through partnerships with other establishments in the country”.

Tkatchenko commended O’Neill for giving him the support to see some of these facilities being resurrected.

He said the renovated pool was among 20 new projects undertaken to fix before the Games and beyond.

Tkatchenko challenged the soldiers and their dependents to take care of the pool and revive the Taurama swimming club, which used to produce some of the country’s best swimmers.

Thanking the government, Brig-Gen Toropo said the facility would see many sportsmen and women in the force realise their sporting dreams and help to maintain the physical fitness of soldiers.