Page 33 - IB MAR 2017

Sports
Tonga’s bid to host 2019 Pacific Games reaches political climax

Undeterred, Pohiva in January 2016
took over chairmanship of the Audit and
Governance Authority responsible for all
financial procurement, as well as chair of
the Government Facilities committee so he
can still run the show.
“Had that been allowed to proceed, Teu-
faiva Stadium would have been complete
by March 2017 which would then allow us
to host Wales in June,” Sevele adds.
A scheduled June test match between
Tonga and Wales is most likely to be played
in New Zealand adding more grief to local
fans that have not seen an international
match at home for almost a decade.
General Secretary of the Tongatapu
Rugby Union Filokalafi Akau’ola says The entrance to the yet-to-be completed Teufaiva Stadium. Photo: Joe Yaya
Tonga is “dying to have a match at home”.
“The people just love to see a game and
Tonga is always good playing in their home
ground.”
Delays in upgrading the stadium will
penalize Tonga from hosting any qualifica-
tion matches with Fiji and Samoa for next
year’s Rugby World Cup Sevens and the
2019 Rugby World Cup.
Pohiva further complicated matters
when he unilaterally went against the
recommendations of the Organizing Com-
mittee in early 2015 to upgrade the exist-
ing nine-hole golf course and save costs.
Instead, he wants an 18-hole course
and wasted two years dilly-dallying with
options like Auckland and Fiji to host the Work continues on the Popua golf course. Photo: Joe Yaya
golf competition. He later directed a feasi- Tonga hosted a mini version of the and Sponsorship programs targeting
bility assessment of a vacant land at Tonga Games back in 1989 and that was when corporate companies operating in Tonga.
College. But this was abandoned after a sports facilities were first constructed. Meanwhile, the Pacific Games Council
petition from the college ex-students. “Twenty eight years and those facilities is closely monitoring the developments
He approached the King for land and have been in good stead. They have pro- in Tonga.
was given a few sites. A mangrove area at vided opportunities for our athletes and we Council chair Vidya Lakhan says al-
Popua settlement outside Nuku’alofa is the are hoping the same would apply with the though Tonga is behind schedule, they are
latest spot marked to construct an 18-hole facilities that we will construct for 2019.” not at this point looking at another country
course. But it requires a lot of land reclama- Other facilities that have to be con- to host the 2019 Games.
tion that has barely gotten off the ground. structed are indoor stadiums, swimming “We will be reviewing Tonga’s readiness
The financial underwriting of the Games pool and the Games village. Work on the later in the year and will make a deci-
is the responsibility of the government national stadium includes re-surfacing sion then.”
and Sevele cannot fathom the rationale of the turf and track, improving the drainage q yayajoe@gmail.com
having two golf courses in a small coun- system and public convenience facilities.
try like Tonga, labelling the idea a “white The cost to Tonga to host the Games - Joe Yaya is an award-winning graduate of
elephant”. is estimated around 200 million Tongan the University of the South Pacific’s journal-
“One of them will have to be left to die pa’anga (US$92 million) and Sevele says ism program. He extensively covered the 2000
a natural death. the money is there from December 2015. coup for the program’s flagship publication,
“When the experts made their assess- “It’s not a question of money. Funds Wansolwara of which he was also editor. He
ment for an 18-hole course, it was just have been coming in and there are bud- has vast experience in business and finance
too much. So we agreed to come down to geted provisions.” and holds an MBA degree from USP. Some
a nine-hole which meant upgrading and Private sector involvement is also being of his freelance work includes reporting for
improving the existing golf course. sought. Parliament last month passed the PACNEWS and the Australian Broadcasting
“Nine-hole golf course, international “Pacific Games 2019 Taxation and Incen- Corporation (ABC). He also has a strong back-
standard, par 35 would do the job.” tives Bill” that will launch the Marketing ground in social justice work with a few Civil
society organisations in the Pacific.

Islands Business, March 2017 33