Tonga's withdrawal an extremely disappointing decision: Games Council Featured
Tonga PM 'Akilisi Pohiva meeting with the Pacific Games Council Executive Board in 2015. Photo: by Pacific Games Council
18 May, 2017. The Pacific Games Council says the Tongan government's withdrawal from hosting the 2019 Games is "an extremely disappointing and confusing decision".
The Council was formally advised of the government's decision to pull out on Wednesday, because of financial concerns, five days after the move was approved by cabinet.
The Pacific Games Council said it was not consulted in the decision and no attempt was made to seek their assistance to address the Government's financial concerns over staging the Games.
"We have a contract that we signed in 2012, when our General Assembly awarded Tonga the Games and there are termination and suspension clauses in the contract," said Council CEO Andrew Minogue.
"So there are procedures that can be activated if one of the parties wishes to not go ahead and there's a process that needs to be followed and of course in this case it has not been followed.
"So that's why I think it's come in a shock and it's why we've said in our statement we haven't been consulted in the decision," Mr Minogue said.
"I think if finances are a concern of the Tongan Government - and I have no reason to doubt that that's a concern for them - the Games Council would always stand ready to address those concerns where possible by looking at the size and the scope of the Games."
The Pacific Games Council said it believed preparations had been on track for staging the event despite interference by the Prime Minister in the workings of the independent Games Organising Committee.
"Tonga hosted the Pacific Mini Games back in 1989 and there's some legacy venues from those Games, like the Atele Stadium and Queen Salote Hall, said Mr Minogue.
"Those are very very good, very very compact venues that we're happy to use in 2019.
"That's a very good foundation for a lot of the sports and the Chinese Government have committed to building facilities at Tonga High School, the main (Teufaiva) stadium is being upgraded and Tonga is actually on the verge of having all the facilities that they need to run the Games.
"And that's why the decision is so confusing and so difficult to understand," he said.
Council President Vidhya Lakhan, said the government's withdrawal from hosting is "an extremely disappointing and confusing decision which robs Tonga's youth and future generations of the golden opportunity to receive badly needed sport and recreation facilities."
He said "Tonga's citizens and businesses will also miss out on the many vital employment and commercial opportunities associated with the heightened economic activity around the Games."
Andrew Minogue said the Pacific Games Council's Executive Board would hold an emergency meeting next weekend to discuss the way forward.
-RNZI
4 comments
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Kuo mate hotau ma he ngaue 'a e Pule'anga ko'eni pea 'oku mahino pe koe fai 'eni 'i he loto taufehi'a kia Sevele kae li'aki 'a e fonua ia mo e kakai. 'E mahino fefe kihe Palemia ko Sevele koe tangata pisinisi pea kuo anga pe ia he ala he pa'anga pea 'i he tu'unga malava 'o fai'a e ngaue mo e poto faka'atamai mo hono toka'i mei muli. Ko 'etau fakalokua faka-Tonga 'oku ngata pe 'i Tonga ni. Kaikehe kuo maaka 'e holomui 'a e Tonga ni 'a e Kapineti Kete Kovi pea ko honau fe'unga pe koe tui piva moe fakamaaulau.
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E confuse kotoa a mamani he ngaue a e Palemia, ko hono kau poupou pe ona mo hono famili oku ikai confuse. Ke hanga mai ehe Sports Council o penalty paanga a Tonga ni ke asili ai pe lotu ia ka Tangaloa he paaka Popuaaaa
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Kuo anga'aki 'ehe ki'i pm ko eni hono tuku ki tafa'aki e lao moe processes kae fai pe hono loto, pea muimui kuikui ai pe ki ai 'ene ki'i kapineti katuni fakalanga sipiki ko eni. Me'a fakama pea toe fakaoli ki mamani e tu'unga 'atamai 'oku 'iai e motu'a motu ko eni. Koe mei lava eni e ta'u 'e 3 'ene 'ihe 'ofisi moe te'eki ai pe ke poto he fakakaukau he levolo 'oe taki 'oha pule'anga. Kei lele pe ia he taki fakavao moe taki fakangutulau. Pehe 'e ia ko hono peito e fonua ke fa'iteliha pe he'ene me'a 'oku fai. Ka fu'u faka'ofa pehe fau leva a 'atamai pea 'oku tonu ke 'alu a ki honau 'api.
Koe founga pe taha ke fai a mo fili atu 'a Siaosi Pohiva ke CEO he sipoti 'o fetongi a Lord Sevele kae loto lelei e motu'a motu ni ki he sipoti, he koe me'a ia 'oku ta'eloto pehe ai koe 'ikai kene makataki ke ma'u 'e Lord Sevele e vahe moe package faka-CEO. Koe loto kovi kuo totu'a. Koe tefito'i me'a ia 'oku 'uanga ai kia Sevele koe vahe moe monu'ia 'oku ma'u 'e Sevele he'ene hoko koe CEO 'oe sipoti. Ka 'oku mo'oni e lau 'a Vidhya Lakhan, hoko 'ene lotokovi kia Sevele ke mole ai e faingamalie 'oe fanau moe hakotupu e fonua ke nau kau he katoanga sipoti fakamamani lahi ko eni. Toe lave noa'ia atu foki ai moe ngaahi pisinisi mo 'enau ngaahi palani fakapisinisi ne 'osi maau hono fokotu'utu'u.
Vale lahi moe fakatupu mala ki he fonua. -
'E malie hono ako'i 'eke kau poto 'a e fanga ki'i vale ko 'ena 'i he pule'anga mo ho nau taki. 'E folahi mai 'a e clauses ko 'ena 'oku ha'i 'aki 'a e contract ki he host 'o e sipoti pea 'oku sai pe he koe PM koe loea pea toe fonu pe ki'i kau fie loea 'i hono tu'a. Malie, tau tali ki he takai hoko.