About 30 people who were supporters of a move to bring back the Pacific Games 2019 to Tonga rallied and marched to the Palace office yesterday with a petition to the King.
The petitioners have asked His Majesty King Tupou VI to revoke the government’s decision last month to withdraw from hosting the Games.
The petition, which has 11,366 signatures, was presented by His Majesty’s brother-in-law Lord Vaea and it was received by the Palace Office’s Senior Assistant Secretary, Suka ‘Otukolo.
Lord Vaea who is also the acting president of TASA introduced the petition and made a speech to support it.
He spoke using the Tongan way of fakamalanga in which the speaker sometime used figurative expressions to describe and explain what they wanted.
Lord Vaea figuratively told Otukolo who holds the herald name Kavafusi, Samoa and Fiji have hosted the Games and they might ask why Tonga could not do it.
He said he and those who were in the march were representing the Tongan sport community and the youth.
While he was speaking some of his supporters who were in the office showed their supports by speaking out and said “mālie” (excellent) or “mo’oni ia” (that’s true).
Lord Sevele, the chairman of the Pacific Games Organizing Committee joined the march as well as some prominent figures in the sport community including former ‘Ikale Tahi players Fakahau Valu and Poutele Tu’ihalamaka.
