The Organising Committee for the 2019 Pacific Games in Samoa has made an about turn regarding the housing of nearly 4000 athletes and officials expected to attend.
Photo: RNZ
After announcing last month that everyone attending will be accommodated in hotels, it has now been revealed that athletes will be staying in converted school classrooms.
Samoa's Minister for Sport, Loau Keneti Sio, made the announcement on Thursday saying that it was necessary to make the change because there has not been a good response from hotels.
"Initially the hoteliers agreed. However, at the time when the actual signing occurred, not all of them signed the Memorandum of Understanding," he said.
Now he says they will move on to plan 'B'.
"And the Plan B is for the Methodist Church to have the athletes stay at the Faleula compound," he said.
He said that Pacific Games officials would still be housed in participating hotels.
Apia Park will host the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2019 Pacific Games. Photo: Samoa 2019 Pacific Games
