By James Cowling, Port Moresby 2015 Games New Service
PORT MORESBY, July 11 – Katherine Simon (VAN), a member of the organising committee for the Vanuatu 2017 Pacific Mini Games, is optimistic everything will be ready regardless of the damage caused when cyclone Pam struck the island nation in March this year.
Simon, who is at Port Moresby 2015 as an observer along with three other committee members, said the category 5 cyclone has unfortunately caused many problems for the organisers.
“Some of our sports facilities are down and we’ll have to renovate them,” she said.
“The roofs of the biggest indoor facility are off, and the sides and insides. We have other buildings similar to that.”
Simon says although the serious damage caused by the cyclone has caused setbacks, things are going ahead slowly.
“We already have the Chinese (investment firms) working on the former Korman Stadium,” Simon said. “It’s an indoor complex, also multi-sport one.”
“They have removed all the building itself because it wasn’t maintained properly, and now they’re ready to come in and build a new one.”
Simon said, with slight hesitation, that Vanuatu will do its best to have everything in place for the Mimi Games.
“We need to have more money to rebuild, to reconstruct,” she said.
“We’ll really have to work hard. I’m just hoping that everything will be ready by then.”
The 10th Pacific Mini Games will be the second time Vanuatu has held the event, the first was the 2nd edition of the Games back in 1993.
They will be held in Port Vila and Efate between late August and early September with 14 sports to be contested.
GNS jc/pg for more information visit www.portmoresby2015.com
