PGC boss impressed

PACIFIC Games Council president Vidhya Lakhan is impressed with the level of support from all stakeholders, including the National Government to PNG Pacific Games Association (PGA)to host the 2015 Pacific Games in Port Moresby.
Lakhan, based in Fiji, made the comments after holding a series of meetings with PNG Sports Federation executive board, Sports Minister Philemon Embel and the stakeholders.
Lakhan on invitation of PNG PGA and the PNG Sports Foundation arrived on Monday to hold talks with relevant authorities from stakeholders, including the Government on updates of the Pacific Games.
Lakhan said it was most important that Papua New Guineans understood the 2015 Pacific Games remained solely the property of the Pacific Games Council, and PNG Pacific GA won the bid to host the games.
“It is the duty of the PGC to ensure that the hosts, PNG Pacific Games Association, deliver good and safe games to the people of the Pacific region,” he said.
He stressed that part of winning the bid, required appointing an authority and a games organising committee to oversee the preparation for the 2015 Pacific Games.
Lakhan said part of the contract the PNG PGA and the Government entered with the Pacific Games Council soon after PNG won the bid was that the Bid contract required PGA of PNG PGA to appoint games organising committee which is independent and autonomous and will not be part of any government department.
The PNG Sports Foundation chief executive officer Iamo Launa said PNG was excited about winning the bid but it won’t be an easy task to host the Pacific Games.
PNGSF with its internal and external partners would be working in partnership to deliver their Grassroots to Gold programme – a talent identification programme to prepare for the 2015 Games and beyond.
The PNG Sports Federation secretary-general Sir John Dawanincura said the objective of Team PNG in 2015 was to finish in top three, with the major aim for number one spot during the Games.
“We have done it at home soil in 1991 South Pacific Games and we can  repeat it in 2015,” Sir John said.
He said the federation and Pacific Games Association of PNG were working closely with relevant authorities to draft an Act to establish the authority.
He said he hoped to get the full blessing which would be presented at the next Parliament sitting in June or July this year.