Two of the top officials of the Pacific Games Council (PGC), President Vidhya Lakhan and Executive Director, Andrew Minoque have arrived in the country.
The two were met by the Interim Organizing Committee and NOCSI Officials upon arrival yesterday.
The purpose of their visit is for the PGC to make a more complete assessment of the Solomon Islands bid proposal and to negotiate the terms of the host agreement.
The PGC high level delegation will also meet the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Attorney General and the NOCSI Executive.
According to the president of the National Olympic Committee of the Solomon Islands (NOCSI) Martin Rara, President Vidhya Lakhan and executive director Andrew Minogue will conduct their site inspection tour during this visit, as part of Solomon Island’s bid to host the 2023 Pacific Games.
The sites proposed to be developed for the Pacific Games are, the land situated on the southern side of Honiara International Airport near Alligator Creek as the main sporting venue or hub, another land immediately adjacent to the land identified as main sport venue/hub which is suitable for Games Village, the Educational Institutions (KG VI and SINU) as the readily available accommodation which can be renovated to the desired standard, Panatina Campus ground with the stadium that will have synthetic athletic tracks, the sport grounds at Naha, Kukum and White River and the land at Burns Creek, owned by the SI National Sports.
This visit is a very important as it will result in a recommendation to the Council.
Solomon Islands has prepared its bid to host the 2023 Pacific Games.
A Bid proposal for hosting of Pacific Games in 2023 was submitted to the Pacific Games Council by an Interim Organizing Committee established for that purpose.
That Bid proposal was submitted through NOCSI as the Pacific Games Association (“PGA”).
The actual presentation of the Bid will take place in May 9th at Port Vila in Vanuatu during PGC General Assembly.
The Solomon Islands PGA delegation will be there to make their presentation.
There are 22 PGA members that will vote.
There are only two countries that have submitted their bids; they are Solomon Islands and Tahiti.
By CARLOS ARUAFU
