Games still on

By JACK AMI
THE 7th Papua New Guinea Games in Kimbe, West New Britain, is all set to go as scheduled for March 18- April 1 Sports Minister Justin Tkatchenko says.
Tkatchenko told The National this week that any advice on the deferral of the Games would be formally announced by the PNG Games Council and Host Organising Committee.
“Unless something pops up between now and March everybody is looking forward to the PNG Games and working tirelessly for it,” Tkatchenko said at the launching of the SP PNG Hunters on Tuesday night in Port Moresby.
The Sports Minister’s stance is in contrast to other media reports that had the governor of the host province, West New Britain’s Sasindran Muthuvel calling for the deferral of the event.
The Games, which was intially scheduled for November last year, was pushed back to March 2017 because of the Fifa Under-20 Women’s World Cup being hosted in Papua New Guinea.
Sasindran’s reason for the second postponement was because of wet weather in the province but another reason could be that the event falls only two months before the general elections.
“At the moment there is no advice of the deferral and everything is going ahead from March 18 to April 1,” Tkatchenko, pictured, said.
He said that the Games would go ahead as planned as the national elections from June would not affect the event.
“This is my last term as the minister responsible and I’m confident that the event should go ahead without further delay.
Tkatchenko was confident that the province would be Games ready despite concerns some of the equipment for the various sports such as athletics had not been bought yet.
Muthuvel’s plea in Parliament this week sends mixed signals about the event which has had a low key build after the first deferral.
If the event is deferred for a second time, one sports administrator said the only other available time to run the event would be during the November-December period – the usual time the event has been run over the last six editions.
It is understood Prime Minister Peter O’Neill is yet to discuss the matter with Tkatchenko after Muthuvel’s request.
Tkatchenko said with seven week to go preparations were on track with infrastructure and accomodation facilities being prepared for the expected 5000 plus athletes and officials to be in the province over the two-week event.
Unconfirmed reports say some provinces are reconsidering their participationespecially with expansion of funds on the Games during an election year.
Significant financial resources have already been allocated to the event with the the National Government having given K10million for the event with counter-part funding from the WNB provincial government, while while the National Gaming Control Board only last week gave K5million to organisers.