May 02, 2023
Role for Māori in Commonwealth Games tono
The chair of the New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games Committee says Māori input would be critical in any bid to hold the Commonwealth Games in Aotearoa for a third time.
The committee has the Government go-ahead to tono for the 2034 games, but Diana Puketapu says it’s still at an early stage of assessing the feasibility – and bids don’t open until 2027.
She says there are economic and community wellbeing benefits from being part of such a big event.
“We’re talking about a decade worth of mahi effectively that we have in front of us should end end up hosting in 2034. That’s how long the runway is so there’s plenty of opportunity for us to weave in te ao Maori. I would want to see our culture most definitely displayed to the world,” Ms Puketapu says
Unlike the 1974 and 1990 games where new facilities had to be built, the Commonwealth Games Federation is now more open to using existing facilities around the country, bringing down the overall cost.