Fiji will not be expressing any interest to host 2019 Pacific Games - FASANOC President

With expectations that the Pacific Games Council will shortly be seeking an alternate venue for the 2019 Pacific Games, FASANOC President Joe Rodan, has today announced that Fiji will not be expressing an interest to host the Games.

Rodan says this is after consultations with their stakeholders on Fiji’s readiness for such an event.

Rodan says that while Fiji has most of the facilities and organisational support required, Fiji is standing back in favour of another Pacific country.

He says Fiji hopes, in time, to be able to organize another benchmark event as it did in 2003.

Pacific Games Council President, Vidhya Lakhan and CEO, Andrew Minogue, had visited Nuku’alofa from 6th to 7th June as part of the council’s resolution to make one last attempt to keep the 2019 Pacific Games in Tonga.

However the Tongan Prime Minister informed the council that the Cabinet’s decision to withdraw from hosting the 2019 Pacific Games was final.  

The Pacific Games Council Executive Board had previously advised its members, including Fiji, that it would be putting contingency plans in place to select an alternative host nation quickly in the event that matters with the Tongan Government were not fully resolved by 30th June this year.   

Rodan expressed his disappointment at Tonga’s withdrawal but understands that several countries have since expressed interest in stepping in to host the 2019 Pacific Games.