Samoa steps in to host 2019 Pacific Games

The Pacific Games Council has announced that Samoa will host the 2019 Pacific Games.

With Tonga having withdrawn from its hosting in May, the Pacific Games Council Executive Board unanimously approved giving Samoa hosting rights for the Games ahead of Guam and French Polynesia (Tahiti).

Andrew Minogue, Chief Executive of the Pacific Games Council, says Samoa was successful in addressing all the criteria required to host the event.

Explaining that the hosts had little time to prepare, Minogue advised "essentially a process like this was really trying to find who amongst our members had a number of facilities in place (and) had some experienced people who had delivered events recently.

"(We) were looking for a very capable pair of hands (with) less than two years until the games."

The Council said it would help Samoa in every way possible in the short time available to prepare, with Minogue confident that Samoa will host a successful Games.

The Government of Tonga pulled out of staging the Games, saying it could not afford to host them.

Samoa said it would fully underwrite the cost of hosting the games and that it already has the facilities needed.

Samoa last hosted the Pacific Games in 2007 and also hosted the Commonwealth Youth Games in 2015.

Image: Apia Park n the Samoan capital was one of the main venues for the 2007 Pacific Games, hosting the athletics, table tennis, badminton, lawn bowls, rugby sevens and touch rugby events.Apia 

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