The 8th PNG Games in Mendi, Southern Highlands Province slated for this month has been deferred to November 2022.
There are numerus reasons for the deferral of the ‘Grassroots Games’ with incomplete facilities and the COVID-19 pandemic topping the list of reasons.
The PNG Games Council awarded the Games to SHP in 2016 in Kimbe through a bidding process, which was also contested by NCD and Eastern Highlands Province.
The SHP bidding team on behalf of the Southern Highlands Provincial Government made a presentation to prepare the sports facilities and other Games infrastructure to host the 8th PNG Games in Mendi Town and other district centres.
Since then the Host Organizing Committee (HOC) has undertaken a mammoth task to produce project submissions to secure funding from both the national and provincial governments in 2017.
Project proposals were delivered to market the Games, secure sponsorship from corporate and private sectors in 2018. This was followed by the engagement of contractors to kick off construction work in 2019, on the main Games stadium at Oiyarep outside Mendi town.
Starting from ground zero, an ambitious project was undertaken to produce a top class sports precinct with a state of the art facilities.
To date what little has been done is sitting idle as the pandemic across the country has hindered supply of materials in 2020, particularly from China, where most construction materials were sourced.
The HOC says this has been a challenge also. The Delta Variant outbreak this year has also been frustrating for both the Games organizers and the participating provincial teams.
The PNG Games Council comprises of 22 provincial representatives nominated by respective provincial administrations. Other council member are PNG Olympic Committee representing the national sporting bodies, PNG Sports Foundation and four regional representatives.
The custodian of the Games is PNG Sports Foundation whose executive director chairs the Council. The conduct of PNG Games business, its organization, operating systems and processes are captured in the PNG Games Charter and its bylaws.
Albert Veratau in his capacity as Chairman and mouthpiece of the Council delivered the Council’s decision to defer the Games through a Circular Resolution conducted in November 2021.
As a Council Meeting could not be convened to facilitate voting on the Games deferral agenda, due to COVID restrictions.
