State hands over Games Village to university

 By MALUM NALU

SPORTS and Tourism Minister Justin Tkatchenko says part of the K260 million Pacific Games Village handed over by the National Government to the University of PNG yesterday will be used as a high performance training centre for athletes.

The handover included the Games’ dining hall and drill hall.

He said yesterday that the UPNG Council allocated two blocks of over 200 rooms “for sporting excellence for our athletes in Papua New Guinea”.

Tkatchenko said the arrangement would allow the Papua New Guinea Sports Foundation to house “the home of sporting excellence” at the facility.

“Sporting excellence will be something that we’ll be able to take to the next level when it comes to different sports,” he said.

“We’ll be able to open the doors to our Pacific guests, when it comes to high-performance athletes.

“When it comes to international sporting events, we have now got a place that will be home for them.

“It will make things much easier for athletes’ training as well.

“It will open the doors for those who want to have a professional career in being a super athlete.

“This facility will now be the home for our athletes, for our sporting people, for our sporting administrators and management, here at the university.

“I thank the university vice-chancellor, the chancellor and all the board for leaving a legacy for sports as well in this beautiful facility.

“You’ll see a lot of sporting athletes, management and administration coming and going.

“Who knows, it might be the new home for the Hunters.”