Tonga will be ready to host Tonga v Wales and 2019 Pacific Games, PM says [1]
Friday, February 3, 2017 - 20:07. Updated on Friday, February 3, 2017 - 22:08.
Tonga will be able to host the Test Match between the ‘Ikale Tahi and Wales in June, and the 2019 Pacific Games, Tonga’s Prime Minister Hon. ‘Akilisi Pohiva assured the Tonga Media on Monday, 30 January during a Press Conference at the Prime Minister’s Office.
HIs assurance came amid public concern that because of a lack of facilities Tonga will not be able to host the Wales test and the Pacific Games in 2019.
Four months before the ‘Ikale Tahi v Wales game, the Teufaiva Stadium is still in desperate need to be upgraded to a World Rugby standard; and less than two years before the Pacific Games is scheduled to start, on 8 July 2019, not one of the sports facilities for the games has been constructed.
When Tonga won the bid to host the 2019 Pacific Games, in September 2012 "Our People, Our Games", it offered to host 26 sports, 12 compulsory Sports and 14 Optional Sports.
The 12 compulsory sports are athletics, basketball, Soccer, Golf, rugby 7s, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Va’a (outrigger canoe), Volleyball, Beach Volleyball and Weightlifting.
The 14 Optional Sports are Archery, Baseball, Body Building, Boxing, Cricket, Hockey, Judo, Lawn Bowls, Netball, Power Lifting, Rugby League7’s, surfing, Taekwando and Triathlon.
The upgrading of the Teufaiva Stadium, estimated to cost $24 million Pa’anga was scheduled to start in January 2016 but was cancelled by the Prime Minister Pohiva.
Feud
It was then the beginning of a feud between the Prime Minister Pohiva and some members of the three committees that were set up to oversee Tonga’s hosting of the 2019 Pacific Games, with Teufaiva Stadium as the national stadium.
After cancelling the upgrading of Teufaiva Stadium, PM Pohiva took over from the Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Siaosi Sovaleni, the chairmanship of the Audit and Governance Authority. He also took over the chairmanship of the Government Facilities Committee from the then Minister for Internal Affairs, Hon. Fe’ao Vakata.
In December 2015 the PM informed the chairman of the Pacific Games Organising Committee, Lord Feleti Sevele to resign.
Lord Sevele refused to resign and instead took the PM to court. The PM lost the case and was ordered to pay the salary of the Chairman that he had withheld.
The three committees are:
- Tonga Pacific Games Organising Committee - responsible for the preparation, management and conducting the game.
- Audit and Governance Authority -monitors the management, running and planning works to be carried out by the Organizing Committee.
- Government Facilities Committee - tasked with managing the sporting venues and equipment needed for the Games.
During the Press Conference ‘Akilisi claimed that the Organising Committee’s $1m annual allocation was too much and because government financed the preparation and the hosting of the games, he was convinced that he had the right to have a say on how government money is spent.
Since then the Organising Committee has been in a limbo as the PM and a Government Technical Advisory Committee took over the overseeing of the upgrading of the Teufaiva Stadium for the ‘Ikale Tahi v Wales in June, and Tonga’s preparation to host the 2019 Pacific Games.
Press conference
It was also revealed during the Press Conference, which was also attended by the Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Siaosi Sovaleni, the Minister of Finance, Hon. ‘Aisake Eke and the CEO of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Mrs ‘Ana Bing Fonua, that Master Plans for the 2019 Pacific Games are still on the drawing board.
It was also understood that Taniela ‘Amanaki with the Calibre Manager Project, and the Quality Design were still working on master plans for Teufaiva, the ‘Atele Indoor Stadium, accommodation for athletes in villages and schools, and the new 18-holes Popua Golf Course.
The Minister of Finance, Hon. ‘Aisake Eke, estimated that Tonga needs more than $100 million pa’anga to build the facilities and to host the 2019 Pacific Game and even though the Minister of Finance confirmed that Tonga has the money, the unanswered question was: why are we still awaiting financial assistance from PNG to upgrade Teufaiva?
So despite the talk by the PM of adopting an approach of Design and Build, and instead of going through the Procurement Process, which he claimed is more expensive, thereremains uncertainties over what government has adopted- aDesign and Build or the Procurement Process.
Both the Deputy PM and the Minister of Finance pointed out that even under the Design and Build approach they still have to follow the Procurement Process, so there is probably no truth in the notion that the Design and Build is cheaper and will speed up the process.
With regards to the upgrading of the Teufaiva Stadium, the time is short and will it be ready for the International Rugby Test Match between the ‘Ikale Tahi and Wales?
The Prime Minister said that a company had won the bid to upgrade Teufaiva and a representative of the company, Taniela ‘Amanaki could elaborate on how they will upgrade Teufaiva.
“But I can tell you, we can host the games,” stressed the PM. “It is for Wales to decide whether to come or not. If they disagree and want to have it in New Zealand. OK, no problems.”
The PM is also Tonga’s Minister of Sports, and the president of Tonga’s Rugby Union.
However during the press conference there was more confusion when a representative of the companies who supposed to have signed the agreement said that an agreement has not been signed
“The situation now, we are still working to complete our working agreement with government,” Taniela explained.
He made this comment straight after the PM said that government had concluded an agreement for the upgrading of Teufaiva.
Taniela was speaking on the behalf of two companies that are signing the working agreement with government; Taniela’s company, Calibre Manager Project and the other, Quality Design.
First on the list of work to be done, he said is to “lengthen the field to comply with IRB requirements.”
The length and width of the Field of Play, normally is 120m by 70m.
Apart from the lengthening of the Field of Play, Taniela said they will also make sure that the field is in a safe condition. They will improve the drainage system and the public convenience facilities.
Taniela said that after the test match with Wales in June, they would then proceed to work on the turf. He said that they had engaged a New Zealand company, the New Zealand Sport Turf Institute NZSTI.
“Once we receive a letter of acceptance from Government, somebody will come from the NZSTI to survey what is needed for the work to start.The New Zealand Sports Turf Institute (NZSTI) is New Zealand’s only full service sports turf consultancy group specialising in research, training and advice relating to design and management of natural and artificial sports surfaces.
Sand imports
Taniela said that an important part of the Teufaiva project is that they have to bring in a big amount of a special kind of sand from New Zealand, “not as salty as Tongan sand, but it would enable grass to grow.”
With regards to the 160 acres golf course to be build on the island of Talakite, to the east of Popua, government is waiting for a master plan before they proceed with an Environmental Assessment and the construction of the golf course.
With regards to the quality of the facilities and the services that Tonga will be able to offer during the 2019 Pacific Games. The Prime Minister said that villages and schools halls will be upgraded to accommodate athletes. He emphasised that the Pacific Games is for Pacific People, “the sporting facilities is most important. The accommodation will be OK. We offer only what we can afford.”
The Press Conference was requested by the Media Council (Tonga), for the Minister of Sports, a representative of TASANOC and a representative of the Organising Committee to clarify first if the Teufaiva Stadium will be ready for the international rugby test match between the ‘Ikale Tahi and Wales in June, and the state of Tonga’s preparation to stage the 2019 Pacific Games.