SPG, South Pacific Games

9/04/07

For the past two weeks, Samoan society has been focused on the South Pacific Games (SPG). This is like the Olympics for twenty two South Pacific countries, excluding New Zealand and Australia. Millions of dollars have been spent on the construction of entirely new facilities, including a natatorium with 50 meter pool, gymnasiums, boxing rings, and lots of viewing stands, tracks, playing fields, etc. Much at the expense of the Chinese who want Samoa’s vote in the UN to be reunited with Formosa and whose companies did most of the work. The roads in Apia have been repaved, traffic lanes painted, and traffic signals installed. A new marina built in anticipation of the yachts expected to arrive. Apia hardly looks like the same place when we arrived last June.

Like all such events, there is a crazed nationalism which tends to run rampant. New Caledonia is running away with about every other metal; Tahiti capturing a large share as well. Supposedly the reason is because the French are filling the roosters of these French speaking countries with Europeans. Your nationality is based on your passport and the French have only one passport f or French speaking countries. No one mentions, teams like the Samoan basketball team have only one native Samoan, the other players all from America, but with Samoan passports. International sport is a crazy affair.

Just what happens after the games is probably, nothing. Those who thought business would boom are disappointed to learn that almost all the foreigners were either the athletes who have no money to spend or VIP guests who were treated gratis. The facilities, although first class, have few local athletes to keep them going. But the games did help to focus the South Pacific’s attention on Samoa, at least for two weeks.

Anyway, I got a pass to the games as a “Media Liaison” for basketball. I wrote articles for the official games web site. For this, I was fed and given free rein. However, writing about 10 basketball games in two days didn’t give me anytime to see anything else. But I did get the chance to witness some of the inside stuff that happened. But this is an open blog, so this news must be kept “Hush, Hush, and Confidential”.