2011 SPG in New Caledonia, Micro Games still up for grabs

KOROR, Palau—The South Pacific Games Council has decided to award the hosting of the 2011 SPG to New Caledonia, according to Michael White, NMI chef de mission to the 2005 Palau South Pacific Mini Games.

White disclosed yesterday that the Council met on Sunday and decided on the issue.

“The principal decision was that they selected New Caledonia as the site for the 2011 SPG,” he said.

White also explained that any participating country in the SPG may host the Games and must submit bids to the Council, which reviews them approximately six years before the event.

“The charter lays out the time requirements…you have to submit a bid and the charter prescribes what elements have to be covered in your bid proposals,” he said “Then at some point, six years before the Games, the SPG council reviews all the bids and hears presentations from the bidding countries and decides which country is going to be awarded the Games.”

Meanwhile, White said the issue on who will host next year’s Micronesian Games is not yet settled as no decision has been made.

“Everything is still up in the air,” he said “There are matters that are still being considered, but no firm decisions have been taken yet.”

White confirmed that Gov. Juan N. Babauta has written a letter to the Micronesian Games Council expressing the CNMI’s willingness to host the Games.

“The governor has written a letter in general expressing an interest in hosting the Micro Games at some point in time, and also expressing our willingness to host next year’s Micro Games if Yap is not willing to do so,” White said.

Officials from Yap have expressed mixed feelings about hosting the Games, with several citing that the state is not ready due to damages sustained from a recent typhoon.

Pohnpei hosted the previous Games in 2002, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands won the bid to host the 2010 Games.

Earlier, Rep. Ray Tebuteb, White, and former Northern Marianas Amateur Sports Association president Bill Sakovich said they believe the CNMI has the facilities to host the Games, however, all agreed that much work still needs to be done for the upgrading of the facilities, as well as many others.

Others reportedly interested in hosting the Games include Guam and Pohnpei.