PAC - Pacific Islands Broadcasting Association articles from July 2003

PAC - Pacific Islands Broadcasting Association archives from July 2003

Regional leaders agree on a policing operation to restore Solomons' law and order.
July 1, 2003... 01 JULY 2003 PACIFIC (Pacnews) - Pacific Island leaders have unanimously agreed to provide their troubled neighbour, Solomon Islands with a policing operation to restore law and order in the country. Foreign Affairs Ministers, permanent...

Palau concerned about last minute Compact changes.
July 1, 2003... 01 JULY 2003 KOROR (Pacnews) --- The U.S. government wants changes in its Compact with Palau pertaining to immigration issues, including documentary requirements from Palauans entering America. President Tommy Remengesau said American...

Samoa to merge radio and television stations.
July 1, 2003... 01 JULY 2003 WELLINGTON (Pacnews) --- The Samoan government has announced plans to merge its television station, Televise Samoa, with its radio station, 2AP. Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele said government had plans to sell Televise Samoa...

Mass rebel surrender reported in Papua.
July 1, 2003... 01 JULY 2003 JAYAPURA (Pacnews) --- In the eastern Indonesian province of Papua, 42 members of the separatist Free Papua Movement are reported to have surrendered to authorities. The state Antara news agency says the rebels who had been led...

New Caledonia and French Polynesia dominate swimming medals.
July 1, 2003... 01 JULY 2003 SUVA (Pacnews) --- New Caledonia and French Polynesia dominated the swimming competition last night, each both winning two gold medals. In the 400 metres women's individual medley, French Polynesia's Lacken Malateste took out...

The Pacific's part in global trade.
July 1, 2003... 01 JULY 2003, NADI, FIJI - The Pacific Island Countries Trade Agreement (PICTA), a free trade agreement between Pacific Island Forum member states, looks set to make meaningful contributions on the region's behalf. It looks set to be the...

Peace Monitoring Group completes term in Bougainville.
July 1, 2003... 01 JULY 2003 PORT MORESBY (Pacnews) --- An unusual experiment in unarmed peacekeeping came to an end yesterday when an Australian-led force of 5000 wrapped up a successful bid to bring peace to Bougainville Island. Troops from Australia,...

Australia expecting legal cover in Solomon Islands.
July 1, 2003... 01 JULY 2003 SYDNEY (Pacnews) ---- The Australian Government is urging Solomon Islands to urgently pass legislation providing the appropriate legal cover for an intervention force when its parliament reconvenes next Tuesday. Australia's...

Koror Governor fined for abusing authority.
July 1, 2003... 01 JULY 2003 KOROR (Pacnews) --- The Supreme Court has ordered Koror State Gov. John Gibbons to pay a US$4,000 fine for using his position to push for the construction of a metal recycling plant. In a six-page decision, Associate Justice...

Mail bound for American Samoa held up in Honolulu.
July 1, 2003... 01 JULY 2003 PAGOPAGO (Pacnews) --- A little over 13,000 pounds of mail bound for American Samoa remains in Honolulu and that amount is growing by about 2,000 pounds daily. However, until the situation with the Pago Pago International...

More medals up for grabs on day two of competition.
July 1, 2003... 01 JULY 2003 SUVA (Pacnews) --- Vanuatu's netball team had to fight a strong Tongan team to win their pool play this morning. The game was evenly played until the last two last quarters when Vanuatu managed to edge out the Tongan team....

PNG seeks role to capture Keke.
July 1, 2003... 01 JULY 2003 PORT MORESBY (Pacnews) --- A highly trained crack unit of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) will seek a special mission from Australia to go after the rebellious Solomon Islands warlord, Harold Keke. The National...

Palauans in Marianas want dual citizenship.
July 1, 2003... 01 JULY 2003 KOROR (Pacnews) --- President Tommy Remengesau said Palauan citizens on Guam and the Northern Marianas favor amending the Constitution to allow dual citizenship. Remengesau said he gained support for his bid to permit dual...

Samoa to control introduced bird species.
July 1, 2003... 01 JULY 2003 APIA (Pacnews) --- Samoa's Ministry of Natural resources and Environment is to launch a programme to control an imported bird species. Two varieties of Myna bird were introduced to Samoa to control agricultural pests. The...

American Samoan company under investigation.
July 1, 2003... 01 JULY 2003 PAGOPAGO (Pacnews) --- An inspector for the United States Environmental Protection Agency has completed a criminal investigation into KS Mart Inc. over an ammonia leak. The investigation centres on whether or not the grocery...

No arrests made in shooting on Andersen Air Force base.
July 1, 2003... 01 JULY 2003 HAGTNA (Pacnews) --- Federal and local officials in Guam are investigating a shooting that killed a 14-year-old boy and wounded another teenage boy while both were allegedly trespassing on Andersen Air Force Base. Guam Police...

American Samoan airline seeks capital for new venture.
July 1, 2003... 01 JULY 2003 PAGOPAGO (Pacnews) --- American Samoa's Samoa Air Vacations which recently announced plans to start a weekly charter flight to Honolulu next month is still trying to raise capital to start the venture. The Company says the US...

Tahiti dominate outrigger canoeing.
July 1, 2003... 01 JULY 2003 SUVA (Pacnews) --- Tahiti (French Polynesia) has dominated the outrigger canoeing competition taking out all four of the gold medals on day two of the South Pacific Games in Suva, Fiji. The Tahitian men and women recorded...

Australia press wary of Solomon's role.
July 1, 2003... 01 JULY 2003 - The Australian press is cautious over the government's new assertiveness in the foreign policy sphere and its plans to intervene in the Solomon Islands. Some papers warn there may be serious longer-term consequences if a...

John Howard says he won't fail Pacific.
July 2, 2003... 02 JULY 2003 HONIARA (Pacnews) --- The Australian Prime Minister, John Howard says Pacific nations are looking for direction and he has promised Australia will provide it. Mr Howard said immediate action should be taken to confront...

More than 90 held over Tete killings, notorious criminal shot dead.
July 2, 2003... 02 JULY 2003 PORT MORESBY (Pacnews) --- Papua New Guinea Police have arrested and charged 94 people with wilful murder over the multiple killings at Tete Settlement, just outside the capital, Port Moresby. Police also shot dead a prison...

French Parliament passes overseas territories development bill.
July 2, 2003... 02 JULY 2003 PARIS (Pacnews) --- French Parliament's National Assembly has passed a crucial bill aimed at fostering sustainable economic and social development in France's overseas departments and territories. The bill, tabled by French...

Slight losses for Air Tahiti Nui.
July 2, 2003... 02 JULY 2003 PAPE'ETE (Pacnews) --- French Polynesia's international flag carrier, Air Tahiti Nui (ATN) has recorded a loss of some 77 million French Pacific Francs (US$740,000) for last year. Airline chairman, Nelson Levy described the...

Future of mini games to be discussed.
July 2, 2003... 02 JULY 2003 SUVA (Pacnews) ---The future of the mini South Pacific Games would be discussed at the upcoming South Pacific Games Council meeting this weekend. This was confirmed by Fiji Council member, Dr Robin Mitchell, who said this was...

New Caledonia maintains lead on day three.
July 2, 2003... 02 JULY 2003 SUVA (Pacnews) --- New Caledonia has increased its lead of medal haul - after almost a clean sweep of the swimming medals last night New Caledonian swimmers won three out of the six gold medals that were up for grabs last...

Government eyes doubling Solomon Islands aid.
July 2, 2003... 02 JULY 2003 WELLINGTON (Pacnews) --- New Zealand's aid package for the Solomon Islands could more than double to NZD$20 million (US$11.8 million) as the Government considers ways of restoring order in the troubled nation. The New Zealand...

Pyramid warnings.
July 2, 2003... 02 JULY 2003 PORT MORESBY (Pacnews) --- Papua New Guinea's Police Commissioner Sam Inguba has warned that several pyramid schemes introduced in PNG were robbing the country. He said this during the opening of a three-day seminar on...

NZ Maori to help preserve Polynesian languages.
July 2, 2003... 02 JULY 2003 WELLINGTON (Pacnews) --- The Maori Language Commission in New Zealand, Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori, is offering free new internet dictionary software to Polynesian nations. The Commission has been working on the Matapuna...

French Polynesia to debate new autonomy status.
July 2, 2003... 02 JULY 2003 PAPEETE (Pacnews) --- The French Polynesian Parliament will begin a debate on a new autonomy status today. Parliamentarians will argue whether to endorse plans to change the political status of the French territory to become an...

Education in Fiji to receive AUD$20 million boost from Australia.
July 2, 2003... 01 JULY 2003 SUVA (Pacnews) --- Australia has signed an agreement with Fiji's Ministry of Education for a five-year, AUD$20 million (US$13 million) education programme in Fiji as part of a strategy to reduce poverty by boosting education...

Indo-Fijians to leave cane farms by the droves.
July 2, 2003... 01 JULY 2003 NADI (Pacnews) - Fiji's ultimate life-line, the sugar industry, faces imminent collapse after revelations yesterday that a majority of its 23,000 cane farmers, particularly Indo-Fijians, will leave by the dozens because of the...

Regional trade agreements "inevitable strategies" for PICs.
July 2, 2003... 02 JULY 2003 NADI, FIJI (Pacnews) - A Pacific Island non-government organisation, Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG), yesterday maintained that Forum leaders needed to be questioned about a lack of public scrutiny on the regional trade...

Samoa negotiates duty rates with bigger players.
July 2, 2003... 02 JULY 2003 NADI, FIJI (Pacnews) - Negotiating duty rates on imported goods is a sticking point in on-going bilateral talks between Samoa and World Trade Organisation (WTO) members Australia, New Zealand and the United States. Samoa's...

Police chief allays fears on intervention force.
July 3, 2003... 03 JULY 2003 HONIARA (Pacnews) --- Solomon Islands expatriate police chief, William Morell has allayed fears amongst the people on the proposed Australian-led multinational force to restore law and order on the troubled island. ...

House in uproar over law changes.
July 3, 2003... 03 JULY 2003 PORT MORESBY (Pacnews) --- The proposed amendments on votes-of-no-confidence provisions and the integrity law continues to rock Papua New Guinea's Parliament. Yesterday, there was a clash between PNG's Opposition Leader Sir...

Cook Islands accountant pleads guilty to secret payment charges.
July 3, 2003... 03 JULY 2003 RAROTONTGA (Pacnews) --- An associate of a former chief of staff in the Cook Islands prime minister's office, has changed his plea to guilty in the trial over secret commission payments. Radio New Zealand International quoted...

Government shuts door on migrants.
July 3, 2003... 03 JULY 2003 WELLINGTON (Pacnews) --- Sweeping changes to immigration rules will shut the door to tens of thousands of people already in the queue to come to New Zealand. The overhaul of immigration policy announced yesterday is also...

Solomons and Samoa win their first gold medals.
July 3, 2003... 03 JULY 2003 SUVA (Pacnews) --- Solomon Islands has won its first gold medal in women's Taekwondo. Mavete Masi beat Papua New Guinea's Susuve Simon in the final of the women's bantam featherweight category. Samoa's first gold came from...

Court challenge against Tuvalu Government.
July 3, 2003... 03 JULY 2003 SUVA (Pacnews) --- Tuvalu's Opposition party has taken Prime Minister Safatu Sapoanga to court for refusing to convene Parliament after the election of the Speaker. A new Speaker, Faimalaga Luka was only elected two weeks ago...

More murderous attacks in Solomon Islands.
July 3, 2003... 03 JULY 2003 SYDNEY (Pacnews) --- In a murderous attack led by the Solomon Islands militia leader Harold Keke, a village was razed and three men tortured and beheaded - and the survivors now fear they will be used as human shields against an...

Talks on Compact implementation going "very well".
July 3, 2003... 02 JULY 2003 POHNPEI (Pacnews) - US Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior, David Cohen said that US-FSM talks last week in Honolulu to discuss implementation of the new Compact of Free Association had gone "very well". "Now that the...

Wallisian immigrants demand US$80 million compensation.
July 3, 2003... 03 JULY 2003 NEW CALEDONIA (Pacnews) - In New Caledonia immigrant families from Wallis and Futuna are demanding over US$80 million compensation if they are moved from the strife-torn Noumea suburb of St Louis. The Southern Province and the...

Panel works on plan for improving elections.
July 3, 2003... 03 JULY 2003 GUAM (Pacnews) - A new plan to improve Guam's elections and make them more accessible to people with disabilities should be submitted to the federal government by the end of this month, said Guam Election Commission (GEC) Executive...

Samoa's PM Tuilaepa defends government's Polynesian Air Lines interests.
July 3, 2003... 03 JULY 2003 APIA (Pacnews) --- Shares in Polynesian Airlines could be sold but government must still retain majority shareholding because the national carrier was too important to the economy, Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi. ...

Senior government official admits fraud.
July 3, 2003... 03 JULY 2003 RAROTONGA (Pacnews) --- A former chief of staff in the Cook Islands Prime Minister's office, Eddie Drollett has admitted receiving almost NZD25, 000 (US$14,800) in bribery. Mr Drollet and accountant Edward Friend changed their...

Vagrants on hit list.
July 3, 2003... 03 JULY 2003 PAPUA NEW GUINEA (Pacnews) - Vagrancy laws should be changed to help police and others tackle the spill-lover from ethnic violence in PNG's cities, police said yesterday. Police Commissioner Sam Inguba said there was an urgent...

Saipan, daughter plead guilty in fraud.
July 3, 2003... 03 JULY 2003 SAIPAN (Pacnews) --- Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas (CNMI) Senate Vice President Jose M. Dela Cruz and his daughter Marjorie Dela Cruz are expected to plead guilty today in federal court, according to attorney Loren Sutton....

Vanuatu leader denies unreported income.
July 3, 2003... 03 JULY 2003 WELLINGTON (Pacnews) --- The former Vanuatu Prime Minister, Barak Sope, has rejected an ombudsman's report that he had failed to disclose his annual earnings as ordered by the Leadership Code. The report, issued last month,...

New Zealand commits NZ$5 million to ensure basic education for Pacific children.
July 3, 2003... 03 July 2003 SUVA (Pacnews) - The New Zealand Government has lent its support to a vision for a high quality basic education system in the Pacific through a NZ$5 million (US$2.97 million) grant to the University of the South Pacific's (USP)...

Kiribati voters go to the polls to elect new president.
July 4, 2003... 04 JULY 2003 TARAWA (Pacnews) --- Kiribati will elect a new president today. This is the sixth time the Pacific island nation has gone to the polls in eight months. Kiribati has split elections, whereby there is a first round general...

Germany gives K20 million to PNGDF.
July 4, 2003... 04 JULY 2003 PORT MORESBY (Pacnews) --- The German Government has agreed to extend an existing bilateral aid agreement and equipment aid programme of about K20 million (US$5 million) with the PNG Defence Force to 2004, acting Defence Secretary...

Prime Minister welcomes Australia and New Zealand help.
July 4, 2003... 04 JULY 2003 HONIARA (Pacnews) --- Solomon Islands Prime Minister Sir Allan Kemakeza has welcomed announcements by the Pacific's major aid donors, Australia and New Zealand that they would increase their annual aid to Solomon Islands. This...

Landowners tell logging company - Stop taking our logs!
July 4, 2003... 04 JULY 2003 WESTERN PROVINCE (Pacnews) --- Lake Murray landowners in Papua New Guinea have called on Malaysian logging company, Concord Pacific to stop sneaking out logs from the illegal Kiunga Aiambak project. Landowners have discovered...

Australia to assist region representation at WTO.
July 4, 2003... 04 JULY 2003 NADI, FIJI (Pacnews) - Australia is once again committing financial assistance to the Pacific Islands in support of small states' representation at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva. It is giving out AUS$500,000...

Solomon Islands and Vanuatu reconcile over football incident.
July 4, 2003... 04 JULY 2003 SUVA (Pacnews) ---The national soccer teams of Solomon Islands and Vanuatu took part in a reconciliation ceremony yesterday in the Fijian capital, Suva for an incident where a Solomon Islands student tore apart and dishonoured the...

Trade Commissioner express concern over Australian measures.
July 4, 2003... 04 JULY 2003 NADI, FIJI (Pacnews) - Pacific Trade Commissioner to Australia, Aivu Tauvasa, says Pacific Island states with trade interests in Australia will have to work harder to convince the Australian market that their products are of high...

Regional leaders offer PICTA and PACER to French and US territories.
July 4, 2003... 04 JULY 2003 NADI, FIJI (Pacnews) - Pacific Island Forum leaders have agreed to extend an invitation to US and French-administered Island states to become members of the two regional trade agreements. Speaking to journalists after a session...

FORUM TRADE MINISTERS MEETING, Tanoa International Hotel, Nadi, Fiji, 3 July 2003.
July 4, 2003... 3 July, 2003, Nadi - Forum Trade Ministers met in Nadi Fiji, on 3 July 2003 to discuss progress in the implementation of agreements to establish a free trade area and promote closer economic cooperation and to address Intellectual Property...

SOUTH PACIFIC GAMES 2003 MEDAL TALLY.
July 4, 2003... 4 July 2003 COUNTRY GOLD SILVER BRONZE TOTAL American Samoa ASA Cook Islands COK 1 0 4 5 F. S. Micronesia FSM 1 Fiji FIJ 5 15 7 27 Guam GUM 1 1 Kiribati KIR 1 Marshall Islands RMI Nauru NRU New...

Keke urged to come to terms with imminent intervention plan.
July 4, 2003... 04 JULY 2003 CANBERRA (Pacnews) ---- Australia has called on the Solomon Islands rebel leader, Harold Keke to understand the dramatic transformation about to take place in Solomon Islands. Mr Downer says the Australian-led intervention in...

New Zealand Governor General defends trip to Tonga.
July 4, 2003... 04 JULY 2003 NUKU'ALOFA (Pacnews) --- New Zealand's Governor-General Dame Silvia Cartwright has denied the country's relationship with Tonga was strained because of attempts to amend the kingdom's constitution to give the king more power, and...

Tuvaluan senior official robbed in Suva.
July 4, 2003... 04 JULY 2003 SUVA (Pacnews) --- The small island nation of Tuvalu has now won any medals at the South Pacific Games underway in Fiji, but one of its senior officials has featured prominently in the local media after he was robbed off thousands...

Levi accuses WTO of delay.
July 4, 2003... 04 JULY 2003 PORT MORESBY (Pacnews) --- The Pacific Forum Secretariat has accused the World Trade Organisation (WTO) of dragging negotiations on issues affecting small economies, among them most of the Forum Island countries. Forum...

Solomon Islands considering amnesty proposal.
July 4, 2003... 04 JULY 2003 HONIARA (Pacnews) --- A special taskforce established by the Solomon Islands Government has recommended to Cabinet for a special consideration for a possible 30-days amnesty to be extended to those who are still illegally holding...

Australia supports marijuana-testing facility in Samoa.
July 4, 2003... 04 JULY 2003 APIA (Pacnews) --- Police in Samoa have secured an agreement from the government and aid money from Australia to set up facilities to carry out tests on marijuana which they believe has reached epidemic proportions in the country....

DAY 5 - SPG 2003 RESULTS.
July 4, 2003... July 4, 2003 - Volleyball Men's - FSM beat Kiribati 3 straight sets, Samoa beat PNG 3 straight sets, Tonga will play Samoa for the 5th /6th position, Vanuatu will take on FSM for the 9th /10th while Tuvalu will fight Kiribati for the...

Government halts sale of Telikom, Air Niugini and Harbours Board.
July 4, 2003... 04 JULY 2003 PORT MORESBY (Pacnews) - The Papua New Guinea Government has halted moves to sell Telikom PNG, Air Niugini and PNG Harbours Board, as it was confident that they would make money for the country. Prime Minister Michael Somare,...

Opposition not taking part in new autonomy statute debate at the Assembly of French Polynesia.
July 4, 2003... 04 JULY 2003 PAPEETE (Pacnews) --- Opposition parties in French Polynesia have refused to take part in the debate on the French territory's autonomy describing the debate as a ' travesty of democracy ". According to the official...

Australia closer to appointing its first woman bishop.
July 4, 2003... 04 JULY 2003 MELBOURNE (Pacnews) --- The Anglican Church in Australia has moved a significant step closer to having its first woman bishop. A special committee set up by the church's last general synod in 2001 has released a draft paper...

Tonga celebrates king's birthday.
July 4, 2003... 04 JULY 2003 NUKU'ALOFA (Pacnews) - Today marks Tonga's King Taufa'ahau Tupou's 85th birthday, and the country is celebrating. "It is a happy day today for the people of Tonga," said Mata Moala from Radio Tonga in Nuku'alofa. "We have...

Oxfam NZ to help with water problems in Melanesia.
July 4, 2003... 04 JULY 2003 WELLINGTON (Pacnews) --- The New Zealand branch of the aid agency Oxfam says it hopes it can ease water quality and sanitation problems in the poorer parts of the world, including in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands. It...

Chinese group interrogated by police.
July 4, 2003... 04 JULY 2003 SUVA (Pacnews) - Three Australian citizens who were interrogated by Fiji police on two separate occasions for distributing Falun Gong material, are due to return to Australia today. Acting on a complaint received from the...

PACIFIC ACP TRADE MINISTERS MEETING.
July 4, 2003... MEDIA STATEMENT July 4, 2003 - Pacific ACP Trade Ministers met in Nadi, Fiji, on 4 July 2003 to discuss the current state of negotiations between the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group and the European Union (EU) on Economic...

Australian troops, police arrive in Solomons ahead of intervention.
July 10, 2003... 10 JULY 2003 CANBERRA (Pacnews) --- An advance team of 15 Australian soldiers and police have arrived in the Solomon Islands for final preparations before a 2,000-strong force is deployed to restore order to the troubled Pacific nation,...

PNG-to-Australia gas pipeline project gets boost from utility contract.
July 10, 2003... 10 JULY 2003 PORT MORESBY (Pacnews) --- Australian utility Energex signed a conditional 20-year agreement this week to buy gas from the Highlands Gas Project in Papua New Guinea in a major boost for the cash-strapped nation. Oil Search...

Trade hub in the Pacific.
July 10, 2003... 10 JULY 2003 LONDON (Pacnews) --- A Commonwealth expert on international trade has undertaken an assignment to assist Small Island developing states in the Pacific region with formulating and implementing trade policy and handling international...

Palau visitor's arrival down 62 per cent.
July 10, 2003... 10 JULY 2003 KOROR (Pacnews) - According to the Palau Horizon, only 1,750 tourists visited Palau in June - a drop of 62 percent on last year's figure. All indications point to the SARS outbreak as the main culprit. The Palau Visitors...

Schoolchildren greet Pacific Sky as part of hospitality education campaign.
July 10, 2003... 10 JULY 2003 NOUMEA (Pacnews) --- Authorities in New Caledonia have decided to educate their young ones on the importance of tourism for the French Pacific territory. As part of the tourism awareness campaign, students from two of Noumea's...

UN report says living standards have dropped in four Pacific Island nations.
July 10, 2003... 10 JULY 2003 NEW YORK (Pacnews) --- A United Nations Human Development Report has named four Pacific Island countries where living standards fell in the decade between 1990 and 2001. They are Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Marshall Islands and...

Solomon Islands PM applauds Australian assistance.
July 10, 2003... 10 JULY 2003 HONIARA (Pacnews) --- Members of Parliament and the people of Solomon Islands are greatly indebted to the Government and the people of Australia for taking the initiative to help restore law and order in the war torn Pacific Island...

Life expectancy disparities among ethnic groups widen.
July 10, 2003... 10 JULY 2003 WELLINGTON (Pacnews) - There are growing disparities in life expectancy among Maori, Pacific and European New Zealanders, according to a major study released yesterday. The joint report, by researchers from Otago University's...

Skate to step down.
July 10, 2003... 10 JULY 2003 PORT MORESBY (Pacnews) --- Papua New Guinea's Speaker of Parliament, Bill Skate has indicated his intention to step down from office. The Post Courier speculates a number reasons that contribute to Mr Skate's decision to step...

American Samoa's international airport re-opens after runway repairs.
July 10, 2003... 10 JULY 2003 PAGOPAGO (Pacnews) --- American Samoa's international airport at Pagopago has received clearance to reopen its main runway, paving the way for Hawaiian Airlines to begin flying out hundreds of passengers stranded in American Samoa...

SPG 2003 RESULTS.
July 10, 2003... DAY 10, Thursday 10 July 2003 At least fifty (50) gold medals are up for grabs by Pacific Island sportsmen and women until Saturday morning at the Suva South Pacific Games (SPG). As island athletes, backed by numerous cheering squads,...