Wednesday, 30th September 2009
The Pacific Games Council met on the Sunday rest day of the Pacific Mini Games (Monday 28th September in Fiji) with the 2015 Pacific Games on the agenda. In close contest, PNG won their bid to host the Games - beating out Tonga by just three votes.
Three Pacific Games Associations bid for the Games - Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tonga. Subsequently Solomon Islands withdrew their bid. The voting resulted in 25 votes to PNG and 22 votes to Tonga and
concluded with the signing of the Host Agreement for the 2015 Games by
the Minister of Sports Dame Carol Kidu for the PNG Government; Sir
Henry ToRobert for the Host PGA; and President Lakhan on behalf of the
Pacific Games Council.
"The bids were of a high standard and exceptional quality, confirming the capacity and willingness of our PGAs to bid to host our Games" FASANOC's President Vidhya Lakhan said in his capacity as the Pacific Games Association President. He congratulated the PGAs of PNG and Tonga for their initiative and recognised the commitment and professionalism in their bid documents, which added to the prestige surrounding the Pacific Games. President Lakhan personally congratulated the Governments of Papua New Guinea and the Kingdom of Tonga in recognising the value of their investments into the hosting of the Pacific Games. Their support and unreserved undertakings to fund the costs to host the 2015 Pacific Games was gratefully recognised by the Council. Papua New Guinea pledged US$100m to the Games budget and Tonga pledged US$50m
President Lakhan also took the opportunity to thank the PGA of Tonga, the losing bidder noting the importance to our future that PGAs invest in these Games and in this bidding process. “I wish to recognise the considerable human resource and volunteer investments along with the Tongan Government’s financial investment it is this support that is applauded, and on behalf of the Council and the member PGA I congratulate and thank you” he said.
Bid Documents are available at www.pacificgamescouncil.com
All enquiries please contact Andrew Minogue, Executive Director, PGC mobile +682 79216
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