Pacific Games Council lifts suspension on Tahiti

Tahiti's suspension from the Pacific Games Council has been provisionally lifted.

Athletes from the French territory will be free to participate at next year's Pacific Games in Samoa provided an agreement for the selection of its rugby and boxing athletes is honoured.

Tahiti was suspended by the Council's General Assembly in December due to "political interference".

It followed the French Polynesian Government's decision to boycott the 2017 Pacific Mini Games in Vanuatu because of a dispute over which boxers and rugby sevens athletes should represent Tahiti.

The Tahiti Nui Pacific Games Association has offered to oversee the selection of the best athletes from the territory's rival federations in boxing and rugby sevens for the 2019 Pacific Games, a process supported by Oceania Rugby and the Oceania Boxing Confederation.

That process is supported by the Oceania Federations for Rugby and Boxing, subject to the regulations of their respective sports being upheld throughout the selection process.

The Pacific Games Council said provided this agreement is successfully implemented Tahiti's suspension will be fully lifted in time for the Pacific Games in July.