PACIFIC Games Council President Vidhya Lakhan and Chief Executive Officer Andrew Minogue have conducted a final inspection of the CNMI which will host the 2022 Pacific Mini Games on June 17-25.
During a press conference Friday in the Northern Marianas Sports Association conference room, they talked about what they had seen and observed.
“We took the opportunity to meet with the competition managers of the nine sports,” Lakhan said as he noted the “depth of their understanding and their knowledge of what is required to be done….”
He acknowledged that the super typhoon and the pandemic forced PGC to defer the mini games by one year.
To assess the CNMI’s readiness to host the event, Lakhan said he and Minogue attended numerous meetings from April 19 to 21 with CNMI government and sports officials including Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, the board of the Northern Marianas Pacific Mini Games 2022 Games Organizing Committee chaired by Marco T. Peter as well as the executive board of the Northern Marianas Sports Association chaired by Jerry Tan.
“We are very confident with the games being less than 60 days away — the space that they are in…we are very comfortable,” Lakhan said. “That is not to say that there are no areas that need to be focused on.”
He said he and Minogue have advised the organizing committee about some areas of concerns.
As for the venues, Minogue said, “I’m impressed with [their] qualities…. These are very good, high-quality venues for the mini games.”
They said the venues on Rota and Tinian are ready as well.
Local sports officials appreciate what they have to do and the urgency of getting things done, the Pacific Games Council officials said.
They likewise noted the athlete village at the Pacific Islands Club and the Grandvrio Resort Saipan which Minogue complimented for the quality of the rooms, dining, meeting and training areas.
“We couldn’t ask for anything more,” he added. “What would be perfect is if the venues could be finished now.”
Lakhan at the same time commended the support of Governor Torres.
“In the CNMI we are very fortunate that they have a governor who is fully committed to supporting the games,” he added. “It is appreciated and as we keep telling the committee, they are not doing it for themselves but for the [CNMI]. They are aware that they need to put on excellent games that will make the people and the [local community] proud of their achievement, and we have no doubt that they will succeed. The games council, for our part, are doing whatever we can to share our knowledge and experience with these guys who are organizing the games for the first time.”
Pacific Games CEO Andrew Minogue, President Vidhya Lakhan, Northern Marianas Sports Association President Jerry Tan and Northern Marianas Pacific Mini Games 2022 Games Organizing Committee Chairman Marco Peter conduct a media conference Friday in the NMSA conference room.
