BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
THE respective sports of Basketball, 3×3 Basketball, Volleyball, Beach Volleyball, Table Tennis, Netball, Boxing, Tennis, Va’a, Kayaking, Sailing, Swimming, and Open Water Swimming are scheduled to be delivered at this year’s XVII Pacific Games 2023 in the Solomon Islands.
The XVII Pacific Games 2023 begins from November 19 to December 2 in Honiara.
Sport Delivery Team Cluster Manager Luke Paeni, when speaking at the Radio Talk Back Show held at the SIBC on October 1, said he’s been collaborating with sports competition coordinators and technical delegates to ensure all equipment for respective sports adheres to international federation standards.
“We will bring in officials certified by international federations to ensure that the sports are delivered to international standards,” he stated.
“Everything for my cluster has already arrived except for sailing, which will arrive later this month,” he stated.
According to Mr. Paeni, technical delegates from the each international sports federation recently inspected the respective sports sites.
“We have also identified the respective sports venues in my cluster, which includes Table Tennis at the Honiara City Council (HCC), next to Multipurpose Hall, China Town area, Beach Volley at the Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF), opposite KGVI area, Basketball at the Friendship Hall, Sports City Panatina, 3×3 basketball at the SIFF, Volley Ball Friendship Hall, boxing at the Friendship Hall, Netball at the Friendship Hall, Tennis at the new Tennis Centre, Va’a, Sailing, Kayaking, Open Water Swimming at the DC Park, eastern outskirts of Honiara and Swimming (Sport) at the Aquatic Centre Sport City, Panatina area.”
He stated that for Va’a, sailing, and open water swimming, the majority of the anchors will be produced during games, particularly sailing.
“My team collaborates with international federations to identify technical officials for sports.” So for my cluster, there are 165 foreign technical officials and 166 national technical officials to help provide the sports,” Paeni said.
He also stated that they are in the process of booking flights for the international technical officials.
He calls on sport-specific volunteers, of which there are 337 in his cluster, because they are in the process of arranging volunteers quickly during games, etc.
“Please take note. Every sport (within my cluster) will have an overview and orientation meeting on Thursday, October 5 from 1-4pm at the National Stadium.”
He stated that the meeting is very important orientation to get volunteers on board and to notify them of what to do and what to do next ahead of time.
