2019 Pacific Games

This has been confirmed by the Team Samoa Chef de Mission, Nynette Sass at a podcast training workshop for a group of journalists that is being conducted by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

“Our officials will be present at the games and will walk up to athletes that won their events, say if they win gold, the official will come up to them and tap their back to tell them to take the test. If the athletes refuse, they have to have a valid reason like they have another event to attend to. If not, officials will be on their backs till they take the test,” Sass said.

Among the firsts is the announcement that for the first time in Games history SKY New Zealand will be joining established Games partners EMTV, Fiji TV, France TV and Vanuatu TV for the Host Broadcast.

“We are excited to announce that for the first time in Games history SKY New Zealand will be joining established Games partners EMTV, Fiji TV, France TV and Vanuatu TV, who have contributed significant equipment and crew to ensure we get live coverage from six (6) venues simultaneously,” said Falefata Hele Matatia, CEO of Pacific Games Office.

The teams have been allocated a seeded position based on the Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings.

Conducted by Football Federation Samoa, the draw used seedings based on FIFA rankings.

In the men's event, six teams had been set to be placed in Group A and five in Group B but due to an mistake on the day, five teams were drawn for Group A and six for Group B.

To rectify this, a straight swap was carried out in the match schedules between the groups.

Group A features hosts Samoa, Tonga, New Zealand under-23s, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu.

New Caledonia are the top seeds in Group B, alongside American Samoa, Tuvalu, Tahiti, Fiji and Solomon Islands.

With 24 days to go before the kickoff, head coach Bob Morris wants his players to get the little things right and understand their role in the game.

As days count down to the 2019 Pacific Games in Samoa, which is set to start on July 7^th, the PNG men’s soccer squad is hard at training.

Head Coach Bob Morris said players arrived in the camp on Sunday and are all excited.

With less preparation time left, they are betting on confidence and teamwork.

Athletes, officials, spectators, volunteers, and the workforce involved in the Games are reminded that the event is smokefree.

May 31, which is just 37 days until the Opening Ceremony kicks off a fortnight of sporting competition, is the annual No Tobacco Day organised by the World Health Organization.

The annual campaign raises awareness of the harmful and deadly effects of tobacco use and second-hand smoke exposure, and aims to discourage the use of tobacco in any form.

The Journalists' Association of Samoa and TV1 Samoa have this week hit out at the appointment of an overseas company as host broadcaster.

It comes after the Pacific Games Office on Sunday said the Singapore-based Melanesia Media Group had the contract.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Office said two offshore companies and one local company were approached to bid.

It did not name the local company but TV1 Samoa told local media on Tuesday that it was asked to make a proposal but only given three days.

CEO of the Games Organising Committee Falefata Hele Matatia told Newsline Samoa that Jet Over Hotel, Lucia Chalets, Savai'ian Hotel and Rosalote Hotel have been chosen for their close proximity to the boxing venue at Salelologa.

Boxing is one of 26 sports being contested in Samoa and will be held at the Catholic Church run Don Bosco School.

"When the request was put to us by government our school embraced it, it is our contribution to the government efforts in hosting the Games," said Principal of the college Father Nuku Tevita in a telephone interview with the newspaper.

Schools in Samoa from primary level to high schools have adopted a country from the 24 nations participating in the Games.

There’s also a competition for schools with three categories.

The first is for the school environment that best depicts the spirit of the Pacific Games or the Greening of the Games, making them environmentally more sustainable. The second category is for the best cheers in support of the adopted country. The final category is for poster design.

A group of 11 sponsors have signed agreements with the Pacific Games due to take place between July 7 and 30 in Apia. 

The sponsors come from the private and public sectors, as well as state-owned organisations.

Digicel Samoa, Commercial Bank, Samoa Shipping Corporation and No 1 Currency are among the sponsors.

The portfolio also includes McDonald’s, Apia Insurance, Samoa Stationery and Books, the Samoa Ports Authority, the Electric Power Corporation, SkyEye and Accident Compensation Corporation.