Hosts

About 3,500 athletes from 24 nations across the region will compete in 26 sports from next Monday.

Samoa was only awarded the hosting rights in September 2017 after the Tongan government claimed it could not afford to stage the event.

But Pacific Games Council CEO Andrew Minogue says the Pacific Games Office in Samoa has done a very good job in a very short amount of time to ensure everything is ready to go.

"The organising committee opened for business on the 1st of March last year so really it's only 15 or 16 months," he said.

Pacific Games Office chief executive Falefata Hele Ei Matatia said the Samoa Tourism Authority and the Hotel Association were working together to facilitate the needs of the participating teams.

The plan to use hotels would be a good financial contribution to the local tourism industry, Falefata said.

Meanwhile, the Chinese government is providing assistance for the construction of a new sports venue, the Faleata sports complex at Tuanaimato, as well as renovation work for all sports facilities at the Apia Park stadium.

The Pacific Games Council announced yesterday afternoon that Samoa was the only bid that met all the criteria.

Tuilaepa says Samoa already has the facilities which were modernized as late as 2015.

He adds there are funds for new additions that may be required.

“In any case the arrangements we have made for this meeting (Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Summit) particularly all the arrangements of welcoming of delegates etc are all part and parcel of our preparations of the Pacific Games,” Tuilaepa said.