Preparations are well underway in the Cook Islands for the hosting of the ‘2nd Cook Island Games’ to be held in Rarotonga from the 5th – 12th August 2000. Seventeen sports have been confirmed with 13 teams comprising of 10
Island Sport Association teams and 3 Vaka’s (3 districts in Rarotonga) taking part.
The Official opening will be held at the Punanga Nui Centre on Saturday 5th August commencing at 9.00am. All teams will assemble at the Civic Centre and march through town to the Punanga Nui where the Minister of Sports, Hon Ngamau Munokoa will light the cauldron and the Prime Minister
will officially declare the Games open.
Competitions will start on Saturday 5th August in the afternoon with sports to be played at different venues around the island.
Following are the confirmed sports:
1. Athletics
2. Basketball
3. Canoe/Vaka
4. Cricket
5. Darts
6. Golf
7. Lawn Bowls
8. Netball
9. Rugby League 9’s
10. Rugby 7’s
11. Soccer
12. Squash
13. Tennis
14. Touch Rugby
15. Triathlon
16. Volleyball – Beach Volleyball
17. Yachting
We are expecting about 650 participants from the Outer Islands to compete and about 1200 participants from Rarotonga. Rarotonga-based Outer Island athletes can also compete for their home-islands leaving the Vaka teams
short of athletes.
The Organising Committee under the Chairmanship of CISOA Assistant Sec General, Mrs Rosie Blake have been meeting weekly to make sure everything runs smoothly for the games. The adoption of the ‘Cook Is Games & Zone
Games Charter’ will hopefully be done during the games. It will be a very colourful games with all teams who will be dressing out in their full island or Vaka national colours.
The co-ordinating of the Cook Is Games is being done from the CISOA office by SDOs Mamia Tunui Savage and Robert Graham who are working extra hard to ensure a successful, appealing and enjoyable games.
Athletes from the Outer Islands will also be participating in the ‘Te Maire Maeva Nui’ (Culture Festival Competition) commencing from the 28th July – 03rd August.
The Cook Is government is subsidising airfares for outer island athletes and also assisting with catering while they are here for the duration of both the Te Maire Maeva Nui and the Cook Is Games.
We are definitely looking forward to the assistance that will be provided by Brian Minnikin ASP2000 Co-ordinator and his helpers who will be here in Rarotonga for the Cook Is Games.
Kia Orana e Kia Manuia.
Article supplied by:
Mamia Savage
Sports Development Officer
Cook Islands Sports and Olympic Association
Source: ONOC