Page 37 - IB June 2017

Sports
Tonga’s Game of thrones

reaches epic finale

By Joe Yaya • May 2017 – Pohiva announces
his government is pulling out of the 2019
BY month’s end, The fate the 2019 Pacific Pacific Games.
Games will be known. A journey that be- Pohiva also disregarded the Organising Pohiva ... obstacle to the Games.
gan five years ago when Tonga won the bid Committee’s recommendation in 2015 to Games Council to grant Tonga the games so
to host the Pacific’s premier quadrennial upgrade the existing 9-hole, par 35 golf that it could enjoy the “economic benefits”
sports event has turned sour after Prime course to keep costs down. Instead, he other bigger countries in the region were
Minister Akilisi Pohiva announced last went on a whim to construct an 18-hole enjoying since the Games inception in 1963
month his government was pulling out. course and wasted two years coming up hosted by Fiji.
Pohiva finally came out of the woodwork with nothing concrete. The building of new facilities and up-
after months of stifling tactics and constant Tonga missed out on hosting Wales grading of existing ones will definitely give
interference with the organising of the in a Test match this month that moved Tonga the opportunity to host international
Games that’s left the sporting fraternity in to Auckland’s Eden Park because of the fixtures, particularly rugby games, and
total bewilderment. poor condition of Teufaiva Stadium. But these are definite economic boosters even
Looking at the timeline of events, things works that started in April convinced after the games.
would be well on track by now without World Rugby Tonga can host Samoa and This is the first time Tonga is hosting a
Pohiva’s unnecessary intrusions. Fiji next month for the Pacific Nations Cup Pacific Games. It will join an exclusive club
• October 2012 – Pacific Games that also act as qualifiers for next year’s of only six other countries in the region that
Council awards Tonga rights to host the Rugby World Cup. have the capacity.
16th Pacific Games in 2019. In support Last month’s pull-out announcement The month of June will be a long one for
of Tonga’s bid, then Prime Minister Lord received an overreaction from some coun- Tonga. It’s set aside to allow the organisers
Tu’ivakano suggested the games would tries interested in assuming the hosting of the Games time to reconcile their differ-
cement the foundation for democracy in role. Samoa went to the extent of submit- ences with the government over the financ-
Tonga after democratic elections were held ting a bid even though no one asked it to. ing of the games, and hopefully persuade
in 2010. PNG stalled on their funding deal without the Prime Minister to get back on board.
• December 2014 – Akilisi Pohiva ever handing over a cent to Tonga. Fiji said If this fails by month’s end, then the
is the first commoner appointed Prime they are ready to take over if asked. But Games Council will call for expressions of
Minister by the Parliament instead of the none of these countries are offering moral interest from elsewhere in the region.
King. support to Tonga in the true spirit of Pacific And that’s not going to be a problem.
• November 2015 – Tonga Games comradery. They fail to understand Pohiva But what does all this mean for Pohiva’s
Organising committee awards NZ com- cannot dictate terms to the Pacific Games political career, with elections around the
pany Creative Spaces US$11million Council, who is the owner of the Pacific corner. His former media adviser and
to commence upgrading works on the Games. When the Tongan Government prominent Tongan publisher, Kalafi Moala
Teufaiva Stadium. Then Finance minister agreed in 2012 to host the event in 2019, is calling for him to step down.
Aisake Eke endorsed the deal confirming it signed a tri-partite agreement with the Moala told the Nuku’alofa Times “many
availability of funds for the project. Tongan Pacific Games Association and the people feel he should be replaced with
• December 2015 – Pohiva vetoes Pacific Games Council. someone more competent to lead the
the appointment of Creative Spaces and Games Council president Vidya Lakhan country”.
seeks funding from PNG. He also takes told the ABC Pacific Beat “although the “If you are going to have a politician,
steps to recruit a construction company of Tongan Government is withdrawing its you better have a politician you can trust
his choice, which does not materialise. support, it does not have the legal powers and that is not our experience with him.”
• January 2016 – Pohiva assumes to cancel the Games”. Members of parliament are now looking
chairmanship of the Audit and Governance “But support of the government is vital. at other ways to impeach Pohiva after he
Authority responsible for all financial pro- It would be very difficult to do it without survived a vote of confidence against him
curement, as well as chair of the Govern- government support. Although they may in February.
ment Facilities committee. not contribute financially, there are other Lord Fusitu’a hinted the warning in last
• May 2016 – Pohiva dismisses logistical support services they could pro- month’s Nuku’alofa Times saying “some-
Fred Sevele from his post as chair of the vide to us.” thing needed to be done because there was
Tonga Games Organising committee and Pohiva’s cabinet based their decision on discontent and disillusionment throughout
all his staff. The court upholds Sevele an outdated World Bank report that implied the country”.
on the premise the government does not to them hosting the Games will have a While Pohiva has little more than 18
have the authority to make that call since negative impact on the economy. months of his term left, indications are he
Sevele’s appointment is sanctioned by the Ironically, the Sports Minister in the will not even survive this month.
Tongan Pacific Games Association. 2012 bid win, Sosefo Vakata asked the

Islands Business, May 2017 37