The Mini Pacific Games in Vanuatu 2017 may be less than a year away, but the delay of certain major initiatives by the Organising Committee for Vanuatu’s 2017 Pacific Mini Games, has prompted the Pacific Games Council to air their disappointment.
Pacific Games Council President, Vidhya Lakhan in a statement, said these issues may cause a serious setback in Vanuatu’s games preparation if not addressed immediately.
The lack of support and continued disruption from departments within Vanuatu’s Government has forced the Games Organising Committee to postpone initiatives, including the official sponsorship announcement which is supposed to happen this week.
Pacific Games Council President, Vidhya Lakhan, made positive comments on the Games Organising Committee after his last visit to capital Port Vila, stating that the VAN2017 has done a great job in making up for lost time.
However, with the current delay, the Pacific Games Council is urging on the Government of Vanuatu to do away with the constant delaying. He urged the government to support VAN2017 Organisers, considering the engagement of commercial sponsors across 13 international sports federations and the athletes of the Pacific through the 22 Pacific Games Associations.
In light of the situation, Vanuatu’s Prime Minster, Charlot Salwai, along with Senior Cabinet Ministers have reaffirmed their intention of hosting the 10th Pacific Mini Games. They added that their stance supports the processes of organising the game as outlined in the Host’s Agreement.
Meanwhile, the PGC has scheduled another visit to Port Vila later this week. The visit will have the team meet with the Prime Minister and other senior ministers in Vanuatu to find solutions and ways forward for the games to proceed as planned.
