Sport: French Polynesia budgets US$150m for Games' bid

12:01 pm on 10 April 2015

French Polynesia has budgeted up to 150 million US dollars to host the 2023 Pacific Games.

Tahiti last hosted the Games in 1995 and was beaten by Tonga in the bidding process for the 2019 event.

Kevin Kucsera from the French Polynesian Sports Ministry says they have been working closely with their counterparts in Paris, who are willing to fund equipment and new facilities to be built.

"Because they're quite old, that's the problem. Most of the facilities are 40 to 50 years old now. They were built for the very first Pacific Games here in Tahiti back in 1971 and in 1995 nothing new was built but now we are working on a big construction project to build some new stadiums and an international events centre. We are talking about investing 120 to 150 million US dollars, and obviously this money will come from France".

Kevin Kucsera says Tahiti will make a presentation about their bid to the Pacific Games Council's General Assembly in July.

The formal bid must be submitted next year, with the final vote made in 2017.