PRIME Minister (PM) Manasseh Sogavare yesterday says he had “serious doubts” about hosting the 2023 Pacific Games shortly after winning the rights to do so four years ago.
He said he led a bipartisan team of political leaders, including then Opposition Leader, Jerry Manele, to Vanuatu in 2016 to bid for the right to host the 2023 Pacific Games.
“(On) that occasion … we won the Right to host the 2023 Pacific Games,” he told the signing ceremony of the implementation agreement for the construction of the Games’ facilities in Honiara yesterday.
“Hon. Jerry Manele, then the Leader of Opposition joined hands with the government to bring the games to our shores – as first-time hosts of this Pacific sports extravaganza. Everyone was elated. We were all (on) Cloud 9 – so to speak,” he said.
“However, shortly after the victory had sunk in, I started having serious doubts as to whether we had done the right thing.
“Whether we would be able to live up to the promise we made to the world that we can successfully host the 2023 Pacific Games.
“The level of investment that would be needed far exceeds our capacity to finance the facilities needed to host the games,” Mr Sogavare said.
“As I look back to that fateful day, four years on, and exactly 998 days from the start of the 2023 Pacific Games, I lift my eyes unto the Lord, to praise Him, because (i) he had a plan for our nation to succeed in hosting the games and (ii) the 2023 Pacific Games had become the unifying force to strengthen and build our nation at this time of great challenge and tribulations – globally, regionally and nationally as a result of the global Covid-19 pandemic.”
He told the gathering that “the combined economic benefit to our country of the 2023 Pacific Games project, the Kukum Highway project, the International Airport Upgrade project, and other major projects that are already in the pipeline will inject almost $8 billion of (new) investment into our economy over the next four years, that will revive and drive our economy and create employment [opportunities] for our people, in a manner that is far greater than our own efforts.”
He described yesterday’s signing as an achievement of yet “another historical milestone in our relationship with the people and the Government of the People’s Republic of China.”
“Just over one year after establishing our diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China, we sign the ‘Implementation Agreement of the 2023 Pacific Games Stadium Project.
“This project comprises a total of seven separate infrastructures, which I am led to believe is one of the largest infrastructure projects, funded and built by the People’s Republic of China in any of PRC’s partner Pacific Island countries.
“For this gift, I convey my sincere gratitude to the President, the government, and people of the People’s Republic of China,” Prime Minister Sogavare said.
By Alfred Sasako
Newsroom, Honiara
