17 Jun 2016

Sport: Solomon Islands yet to secure site for new National Stadium

12:01 pm on 17 June 2016

The Solomon Islands Government is yet to secure a site in the capital, Honiara, to build the national stadium for the 2023 Pacific Games.

The government had earmarked two potential sites, one near Henderson Airport, which the Pacific Games Council had rejected because it'ss too far from the city centre.

The second site at Burns Creek in East Honiara is under dispute because both legal and illegal settlers have built their homes there.

Officials have put in a request to the Solomon Islands National University if the stadium could be built at its grounds but the University is yet to respond.

The Solomon Islands Government has secured funding of $US35 million ($SBD277) to build the stadium but has not revealed where the money has come from.

The Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said from next year the government will allocate funds towards the 2023 Pacific Games in the national budget.