Noumea Games opens with a bang

Over 2,000 spectators joined the more than 4,000 athletes and officials in the colorful opening ceremonies for the 14th Pacific Games at the Stade Numa Daly in Noumea, New Caledonia last Saturday.

Fireworks display, traditional dances from New Caledonian volunteers, lighting of the Games torch, and parade of the 22 participating nations were some of the highlights in the opening rites where French President Nicolas Sakorzy served as the guest of honor. New Caledonia tennis star Nicola N’Godrela and swimmer Lara Grangeon carried the Tricolor and the Kanak flags for the home team.

According to the Pacific Islands News Association, Sarkozy also declared the Games open and commended the President of the Organising Committee of the Games—Pascale Bastien-Thiry.

“We are very very happy because all people were there, the 22 countries of the Games were here, it was a very warm atmosphere and the President of the Republic was there to open the Games so we are very very proud and very honoured with that, we are all happy,” PINA quoted.

“We are very proud because we didn’t hope so much for our Pacific Games and for New Caledonia, so for all of us it’s extraordinary. “We have visibility in all the world.”

The Games’ opening ceremonies were televised live in the French Television network.

Meanwhile, after the opening, participants took a break yesterday and competition in the quadrennial event will start today.

The CNMI, which will be competing in golf, baseball, beach volleyball, and athletics, will not be seeing action in the Games until tomorrow when the Commonwealth sluggers play Palau in their first game.

The CNMI-Palau tiff is an early rematch of last year’s Micronesian Games finals. Joshua Jones, of the members of the 18-player CNMI Baseball Team, said they are doing well in practice for the past three days. The group arrived in Noumea last Tuesday.

“We’re getting used to the turf field,” said Jones, referring to the Baseball Mont-Dore.

Next up for the CNMI is host New Caledonia on Aug. 31, Guam on Sept. 2, American Samoa on Sept. 3, and Fiji on Sept. 5. The Commonwealth bets must make it to the Top 2 of their pool to advance to the semifinals.

In beach volleyball, Chris Nelson and Tyce Mister will battle Palau and Tahiti on Sept. 5 at the Terrain de beach-volley Koutio in Dumbéa, Samoa on Sept. 6, and American Samoa on Sept. 7. The CNMI spikers should finish in the Top 3 to advance to the second round.

Golfers Jess Wabol, Jess Taylor, Adam Hardwicke, and Tony Satur will have the individual and team events from Sept. 6 to 8 at the Golf de Tina in the Nouméa, while athletics’ Rachel Abrams, Trevor Ogumoro, and Douglas Dillay will start competing on Sept. 5 until Sept. 9.