The Pacific Games Council has given the thumbs-up to Tahiti’s preparation for the 2027 Pacific Games.
Chief executive Andrew Minogue told RNZ Pacific from Sydney on Wednesday the host country is doing a great job in getting the Games ready.
“It was a very good week in Tahiti last week,” Minogue said.
The week saw both the Pacific Games Council general assembly, where representatives of the 24 participating nations and territories were present, and the Pacific Games Council executive board meet in Pape’ete, hearing from the French Polynesian government, the Tahiti 2027 organising committee and stakeholders.
“I think everybody came away very happy knowing that the Games are on track,” he said.
“They’re being very well managed and organised.”
The regional representatives, which included reps from both Australia and New Zealand, had the chance to tour facilities.
Minogue said all facilities should be ready by the end of the first quarter of 2027.
“We got some briefings from the organising committee about the different services they’ll be providing during the Games,” he said.
“Then we spent probably a day and a half on the road looking at a couple of… the high schools where the athletes will be accommodated, and then going to quite a few of the competition sites across the island.
“Some of them are still under construction. We went to the main athletics track, which should be ready and completed at the end of this year.
“We went to a couple of the indoor halls that will be used for indoor sports that require renovations and will be finished in about the first quarter of next year.
“And I think delegates were impressed that there are good facilities.”
Pacific Games Council chief executive Andrew Minogue (middle) with council president Vidhya Lakhan (left) and PNG rep Ryan Pini (right) in Papeete. Photo: Tahiti PG2027
Tahiti Pacific Games 2027
Pacific Games now an Olympic pathway
Minogue said one of the exciting aspect of the Games now is the fact that it is also being used as a qualifier for the Olympic Games, or as a ranking event towards Olympic qualification.
At the same time the Games will double as the Oceania Championship for weightlifting.
“For the Olympic committees, the ones that will send teams to the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, the Games next year are going to be a very valuable opportunity in some sports to qualify the athletes for the LA Olympics.
“In other sports, it’ll be an ability to get rankings points which will contribute towards them getting to an Olympic Games, while some other sports have pathways to their World Championships and other events.
“For weightlifting, competition next year in Tahiti will be both an Oceania championship and an Olympic qualifier. So we expect a very high standard of competition in that sport.”
Federation reps at the athletics stadium in Papeete last week, while touring the 2027 Pacific Games facilities. Photo: Tahiti PG2027
Tahiti Pacific Games 2027
Minogue said the recent performances by Pasifika athletes at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow means next year’s competition in Papeete will be exciting.
He pointed to track and field, boxing, swimming and weightlifting performances by the Pacific Island teams as indicators of what should be expected at the 2027 event.
“I think all shows us that the the competition standards next year in Tahiti are going to be quite high and and continue to grow in the Pacific,” he said.
“So, I think the sports competition is serious, it’s going to be meaningful and have implications for the athletes going past 2027, for their future.”
The participation of both Australia and New Zealand in 12 sports out of the 24 to be competed for at the Games, is another added bonus, Minogue said.
Australia dominated the medal tally at the Commonwealth Games, with 70 gold medals.
“We expect them to have fairly big teams and strong obviously,” he said.
“I know they will perform well and set a standard I think for a lot of our Pacific athletes to try and and reach, which is important for them with the Olympic Games the following year.”
Federation support
Meanwhile, Minogue confirmed that the Council will fund two athletes for each member federation, to ensure that all federations are represented.
He added financial challenge is something federations will have to work on now to ensure they are able to have their best teams in Tahiti.
“I think in relation to the overall delegations, I think we will continue to expect the larger ones will charter flights,” he said.
“So, that’s always a challenge for the bigger countries to raise the money, but also to schedule those flights, depending on the sports programme and when they need their athletes to be on the ground in Tahiti.
“The Games Council is also supporting each of our member countries with athlete airfares for a male and a female, just so we make sure that even the very smallest and least-resourced member countries will be able to have representation at the Games, and in particular at the opening ceremony.”
The 2027 Pacific Games is scheduled to open on 24 July 2027 and will run until 8 August.
