Papua New Guinea says it wanted to be able to offer answers about security concerns when it made its bid to host the 2015 Pacific Games.
At a meeting in the Cook Islands, the region's premier sporting event was awarded to Port Moresby, whose bid beat the one made by Tonga.
Solomon Islands pulled out last week.
The treasurer on the PNG Games committee, Tamsyn Wardley, says security concerns were a priority.
"We brought over a number of people from the bid committee here so that all their questions could be answered. In particular security was an issue that we recognised everyone would have for Port Moresby, so we brought over our chief inspector of police for Port Moresby. He could answer their questions directly. So they didn't have to just hear it from us, the bid committee."
The PNG government committed 100 million US dollars towards the games.
