NZ and Australia to join Pacific Games 2015 [1]
Friday, January 23, 2015 - 13:12. Updated on Wednesday, July 15, 2015 - 10:44.
By Finau Fonua
Sporting powerhouses New Zealand and Australia have been added as participating nations at this year’s 2015 Pacific Games to be held in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea July 4-18.
Over 3,000 athletes from 23 countries are expected to participate in the games. The event will feature 28 sports from bodybuilding to golf.
Teams for all participating nations are yet to be announced.
Lady Robyn Tu'ivakano, President of the Tonga Amateur Sports Association National Organising Committee (TASANOC) said, “Preparations are moving ahead for the Pacific Games and we have submitted our numerical entries for this year's games, which number around 200 plus participants from Tonga in 18 sports,” she said.
The 28 sports that will feature at the Pacific Games 2015 include Athletics, Boxing, Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Body Building, Cricket, Football, Golf, Hockey, Lawn Bowls, Karate, Netball, Powerlifting, Rugby 7s, Shooting, Rugby League, Sailing, Softball, Squash, Table Tennis, Touch Rugby, Swimming, Taekwondo, Triathlon, Tennis, Va’a, Tennis, Volleyball and Weightlifting.
However, two sports that have been noticeably excluded from this year’s event are Judo and Archery - and both sports are well-established in Tonga.
Lennie Niit the President of the Oceania Judo Union said that although Judo is not on the PNG 2015 program it would be added in future.
“Judo still a voluntary sport in Pacific Games and PNG opted for other sports for various reasons but from 2019 Judo will be a mandatory sport in the Games,” he said.
Lennie is also the Senior Vice President Tonga Sports & National Olympic Committee.