President of the Pacific Games Council- Vidya Lakhan praised Sports Ministers at the 5th Pacific Sports Ministers meeting in Port Vila, Vanuatu for contributing positively to the outcomes document.
“It’s taken ten years for Sports Ministers to finally take it upon themselves to own this meeting as they’ve decided to meet up in Suva, Fiji next year,” said Lakhan.
Ministers present at this half day meeting all agreed to ‘use sport as a tool to achieve national development’.
Ministers, Advisors and Sports Administrators from 11 Pacific Island Countries and Territories (Fiji, Nauru, New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna) attended the meeting.
Presentation were made by Vanuatu’s Minister for Youth and Sports-Seule Simeon, Vanuatu’s Minister for Education and Acting Finance Minister Jean Pierre Nirua, Palau’s Minister for Community and Cultural Affairs- Baklai Temengil who’s also the vice-president of the Oceania National Olympic Committee (ONOC), Fiji’s Minister for Youth and Sports Laisenia Tuitubou, Papua New Guinea’s vice- minister for Sports Wesley Riminai and New Caledonia’s Minister for Sports Valentine Eurisouke.
Portia Domonatani Dugu of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Henry Tavoa CEO of VASANOC, PGC president Lakhan and Cyrille Mainguy, chairman of the Oceania Regional Anti- Doping Organisation (ORADO), also made presentations.
The meeting unanimously agreed 12 to recommendations.
Photo by ONOC