PNG UNITY GAMES PREPARATIONS WELL UNDERWAY

Picture Caption: Oyarep stadium currently under construction in Southern Highlands

By Samuel RAITANO

THE Deputy Chairman of PNG Unity Games Host Organizing Committee in Southern Highlands Province, George Paki says the Oyarep stadium is taking shape and work is progressing steadily.

The project is expected to be completed by the end of September 2025 with progress at the main venue for the PNG Games moving forward smoothly, with hopes that it will be ready ahead of schedule for SHP to host the event.

Mr Paki also clarified to critics that the postponement of the games since 2018 was due to three factors.

The first setback was the election related violence in 2017 causing difficulties for contractor Construct Oceanic Limited (COL) to complete the sporting facilities by 2018.

Between 2019 to 2021, COVID 19 pandemic shut the world down, including sporting activities, and from 2022 to 2023 election related violence continued to cause setbacks.

Paki says critics have been blaming the Provincial Government for killing the spirit of the PNG games but it was not the case, as they were set to deliver.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister James Marape was very keen on reviving the PNG Games this year, when he initiated discussions last year between PNG Sports Federation, Southern Highlands Provincial Government, and PNG LNG developer ExxonMobil and Santos.

The Games, held every two years and known colloquially as the ‘Grassroots Games’ because of its key focus to coordinate and involve sportsmen and women throughout the districts of the country, has gone into a seven-year hiatus since it was last held in Kimbe, West New Britain Province in 2017.

Prime Minister Marape then said in the meeting with the stakeholders, he wanted to see the PNG Games return this year 2025 as part of the country’s 50th Independence Anniversary activities – to be held in Southern Highlands Province.

He highlighted the vital role sports and PNG Games play in promoting and strengthening national unity among Papua New Guineans and thanked partners, ExxonMobil and Santos for once more agreeing to support this community-development program.