BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
THERE is a great deal of excitement in Honiara as the clock is running down to exactly ten days left before the XVII Pacific Games 2023 opening ceremony, which will take place at the new, breathtaking national stadium in the Solomon Islands.
The Games site is being constructed in the eastern portion of Honiara City. The new sports facilities will host football, tennis, swimming, athletic tracks, and field sports, among other sports. Other amenities needed to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of tourists expected to flood the city to take in the biggest sporting event in the Oceania region are also beginning to take shape.
Cornelius Chris, a resident of Guadalcanal Province’s central region, shares the excitement of many others regarding the XVII Pacific Games 2023 opening ceremony, which will take place in Honiara, the capital city of the Solomon Islands, over a few days.
Chris, 85, never got to see the biggest and most prestigious sporting event of its kind take place in Honiara because he was raised on Guadalcanal. It is therefore one of his greatest prides to be hosting the event in his home Guadalcanal.
On Friday, November 3, he boarded a bus and departed from his residence in Tina village, Central Guadalcanal. He needed to purchase a ticket for the opening ceremony in addition to paying $40 for transportation to the Telekom Phone Shop on Honiara, which is the location of Ticket Sales.
“I’m ecstatic. I’m glad I drove out of Tina Village to purchase a ticket for the opening ceremony, even though it cost me $200. Because my island of Guadalcanal has never hosted a major sporting event of this magnitude, the Pacific Games 2023 are very important to me,” Cornelius told RAW SPORTS.
Speaking about the opening ceremony of the Games, Cornelius expressed his happiness and excitement at the idea of witnessing the opening ceremony of the Pacific Games 2023 on November 19, 2023, firsthand.
“I was raised in this area of Guadalcanal, which is home to the city of Honiara, since December 26, 1939, is my birthday. Even though it was a small village back then, it has grown significantly in the last few years, especially with the building of infrastructure for the 2023 Pacific Games.
“My objective is to purchase a ticket and witness the Pacific Games’ opening ceremony firsthand, but I don’t have enough money to go to the other sporting events. I’ll watch TV or listen to the radio instead,” he continued.
He later expressed his satisfaction and pride on behalf of the Guadalcanal people as the event’s host.
“I express my gratitude to all the participants in this event, including those from other countries and the Solomon Islands,” Chris said.
The XVII Pacific Games 2023 begins from November 19 to December 2 in Honiara.
However, according to Maxwell Norman, the XVII Pacific Games 2023 Ticketing Coordinator, tickets for the opening ceremony ($200) and general admission ($30) to see every game are still available and being sold at the Telekom phone shop in Point Cruz. He advised the locals to purchase their tickets while they are still available.
“I requested that you come buy your tickets. There are currently very few tickets available for the opening ceremony. We will not be selling tickets for the opening ceremony in front of the gates during the ceremony in order to avoid crowding during the games. Therefore, it is best to have your tickets before the start of the ceremony.
Furthermore, Mr. Norman announced that there is still time to purchase tickets for Super Saturday, Fantastic, General Admission, and the closing ceremony.
“You can purchase tickets for the closing ceremony, general admission, and an amazing Friday night at Telekom’s selling outlet. The package tickets are actually not available just yet. You can still make your reservation so that we can hold it for you while we wait for the tickets to arrive, even though the tickets are still not available.
“General admission tickets for Lawson Tama football’s opening game, which is scheduled for the 17, November are still available,” he said.
“The opening ceremony is just a few days away, so please come and get your tickets,” he added.
He issued a warning that there would be no ticket refunds
Tickets types, prices, and details are as follows:
• Opening Ceremony Ticket: Price: SBD200, Validity: 1 Day (19.11.2023), Access: National Stadium, Conditions: Valid for only the opening ceremony. Not usable at other venues.
• Closing Ceremony Ticket: Price: SBD200, Validity: 1 Day (02.12.2023), Access: National Stadium, Conditions: valid for only the opening ceremony. Not usable at other venues.
• Package Ticket Pass: Price: SBD1000, Validity: 14 Days, Access: National Stadium, Conditions: Excluding Opening and Closing Ceremonies.
• Sport City Ticket/Pass: Price: SBD500, Validity: 14 Days, Access: All Venues in Sport City, Conditions: For only events or sports held in Sports City.
• General Admission Ticket: Price: SBD30, Validity: 1 Day, Access: Specified Venue, Conditions: Non-refundable after date of use
• Football Final Ticket: Price: SBD100, Validity: Football Final Only, Access: National Stadium, Conditions: Independent Ticket
