SP Games, the beginning of a sporting revolution

Caption: Sports Minister Justin Tkatchenko

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, January 25, 2015 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

MINISTER for Sports and National Events, Justin Tkatchenko announced that the 2015 South Pacific Games is the beginning of a sporting revolution in the country thanks to the support of the national government.

He hailed the commitment of government, through Prime Minister Peter O’Neill for its constant support in ensuring the construction of world class facilities for the game to be held, adding that the government would not stop after the games are over.

“The government is a team working together and supporting each other in many different avenues and sport is a huge one in 2015, but I just want to say that the Pacific Games is just the beginning for the sporting revolution of our country,” Minister Tkatchenko said.

“Because after the pacific games we are going to have some of the best infrastructure and training facilities for our Papua New Guinean athletes that they have never had before on home turf here in PNG.”

“With these new international facilities and infrastructure that we will have, we will be able to take all our athletes to the next level to really go to places that they have never been able to go in sport.”

He said with the new facilities on track, the winning of gold will not only be a thing of a few of the country’s elite athletes in major international events, but the country will excel more on the international stage.

“I look forward to not only the pacific games but to the years ahead, we will be winning gold medals on international level all throughout the world with our different sporting codes because of the facilities we have that will boost up our people’s abilities to be super champions for Papua New Guinea,” he said.