17 Mar 2015

Sport: Cyclone Pam puts 2017 Mini Games in doubt

1:19 pm on 17 March 2015

Preparations for the 2017 Pacific Mini Games in Vanuatu are in doubt in the aftermath of Cyclone Pam.

Demolition work was due to begin this week on the main stadium in Port Vila, but that will now be delayed.

The Chief Executive of the 2017 Mini Games, Joe Bomal Carlo, says Port Vila has been flattened in the last few days, causing major damage to Games venues.

"The impact is absolutely devastating. The stadium is supposed to be coming down this week, to make way for the Chinese team to come start building the new complex, but now I'm not sure where we're going from here. It's not very positive and we will see how it all turns out when all this clean-up is all done with. The government will have to come back to the drawing board and decide from then on whether we move ahead with this or what decision needs to be made within the hierarchy of the government at the top".

Joe Bomal Carlo says there's no guarantee venues will be able to be completed on schedule.

"It's going to be behind time so it's touch and go from here on because work has taken place early in the year but we've been working with the aid donors with the Chinese government. The team was in Vanuatu two months ago, to oversee the designs and the buildings and all that - so that's on the drawing board - and we are waiting to get the place cleared for the work to begin as soon as possible because it's quite a major task ahead of us".

Joe Bomal Carlo expects the financial impact will also be significant but won't be fully known until they speak with the government.