Ballu Shares Concerns of Solomon Islands Games
Team Fiji Chef de Mission (CdM) to the 2023 Pacific Games Ajay Ballu is hopeful that concerns raised by Team Fiji will be addressed in time for the Pacific Games in Honiara, Solomon Islands.
The Games is scheduled to take place from November 19 to December 2 next year.
“The major concerns are water, showers and toilets, money exchange, use of credit cards, rubbish, ice, laundromat, transport, food, internet connectivity, and health care to name a few,” he said. “We also shared our concerns on whether all the venues and the infrastructure would be ready in time for the Games.
“We have asked the Games Organising Committee if we can make another trip to confirm that everything that has been promised is in place before the Games begin,” Ballu added.
Ballu and Team Fiji administrator Jane Niubalavu attended the CdM meeting in Honiara last week along with other CdM’s from participating countries.
“The SOL2023 Games Organising Committee (GOC) were great
hosts during the CdM meeting in Honiara and we came home with a lot of information for our National Olympic Committee (NOC) and the sports who will be attending the Games,” he said.
He said information included the Games Village that Team Fiji would be billeted at and facilities such as sports venues and training areas.
“We were expecting that most of the infrastructure would be 50 per cent - 75 per cent completed, however there is a lot of work to do and that is why the idea to visit Honiara again in 2023 is to have a real picture of what progress has been made.
“On paper everything looks good, world class facilities and venues, however the delivery of the Games will be something to be seen,” Ballu said.
This will be the first time the Solomon Islands will host the Pacific Games.
It is expected that 24 countries and territories, who are members of the Pacific Games Association, will participate in the 2023 Pacific Games including New Zealand and Australia.
As amended in the Pacific Games Charter in 2019, the programme of the Pacific Games shall consist of a maximum of 24 sports.
The following sports are scheduled to be held in Honiara for the Games: archery, athletics, basketball, 3x3 basketball, bodybuilding, boxing, beach soccer, football, Futsal, golf, hockey, judo karate, netball, outrigger canoeing, powerlifting, rugby league nines, rugby sevens, sailing, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, touch rugby, triathlon, volleyball, beach volleyball and weightlifting.