Council officials here to update 2011 Games

Pacific Games Council secretary general David Boyd and officials from the organizing committee for the 2011 Noumea Pacific Games are scheduled to meet with members of the Northern Marianas Amateur Sports Association today to discuss New Caledonia’s hosting of the quadrennial event.

NMASA president Michael White said aside from Boyd also taking part in the meeting, set at 6pm today at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium, are 2011 Pacific Games Organizing Committee president Pascale Bastien-Thiery and protocol director Helen Court Wabete.

“They would like to meet with all national sports federations, including in particular those who might want to participate in the 2011 Pacific Games. Please do your very best to attend this important meeting. I hope to see you there!” said White in an email to NMASA members.

White said in a more recent email to the Saipan Tribune that the stated purpose of the trip is to “explain the New Caledonia 2011 [Pacific] Games—facilities, services, expectations, etc.”

During NMASA’s monthly meeting earlier this month, White
told the sports body’s members not to let the golden opportunity to meet Boyd and organizers of the Games pass by.

“This is important. It was nice when Bill Sakovich was the secretary general we didn’t have a problem communicating with him. Now the secretary general is David Boyd from New Caledonia and it’s important that we show him that we are a sports-loving and sports-supporting place.

”He added that sports federations which intend to take part
in the 2011 Games should be present during the meeting.
“If you’re at all interested in participating in the Pacific Games in 2011, and you should be because it’s fairly close by in Noumea, then you should come. I hope everybody will be able to attend this meeting so we could show them how strong sports is here in the Northern Marianas,” he said.

Aside from the tete-a-tete with NMASA members, Boyd and company are also scheduled to meet with Gov. Benigno R. Fitial and other members of his cabinet.

Samoa hosted the last Pacific Games in 2007. Prior to that
the quadrennial event was held in Fiji (2003), Guam (1999),
Tahiti (1995), Papua New Guinea (1991), New Caledonia
(1987), Western Samoa (1983), Fiji (1979), Guam (1975), Tahiti (1971), Papua New Guinea (1969), New Caledonia (1969), and Fiji (1963).