The Pacific Games Council (PGC) will suspend Tahiti following the completion of the 2017 Mini Games in Vanuatu this Friday 15 December. The suspension was announced by PGC president Vidya Lakhan yesterday 11 December at a press conference in Port Vila, Vanuatu.

The suspension responds to a boycott organized by the French Polynesian Government – who requested its local sporting federations to not attend the 2017 Mini Games. The only Tahitian athletes participating in the games are a team of boxers.

The French Polynesian Government boycotted the event because the PGC continued to recognize a local boxing federation that had been dismissed by the Government in favor of a rival boxing federation.

Vidya Lakhan told journalists that the Council was responding to a written warning from the French Polynesian Government.

Lakhan stated “the Tahiti Government had written to PGC advising if we did not recognize whom they wanted us to recognize then they will ask their national federations to boycott the Vanuatu Games.”

“We see that as direct political interference”, he added.

“The Executive Board is of the decision if we don’t take action, if we don’t make the right statement, these things will continue.”

A media release from the Pacific Games Council stated “The suspension will formally take effect after the closing ceremony of the Vanuatu 2017 Pacific Mini Games and will remain in force until the PGC Executive Board is convinced that this political interference has ceased and that the autonomy of the COPF (Tahitian Sports Body) is fully respected.