Pacific Games Authority

Kostas G. Constantinou – Chairman

Mr. Kostas G. Constantinou, OBE is a prominent business figure in Papua New Guinea, holding a number of high level public sector and private sector appointments. He has extensive business experience in the building and construction industry since his appointment as a General Manager and Director of the Constantinou Group of Companies in 1982. He is Chairman of several private companies including Airways Hotel & Apartments Limited, Lamana Hotel Limited, Lamana Development Limited and Hebou Construction Limited. He is Chairman of Alotau International Hotel, Director of Gazelle International Hotel and Kimbe Park Hotel in PNG. He is also Chairman of Heritage Park Hotel, Honiara and Grand Pacific Hotel, Fiji. He holds board positions with listed companies. He is Chairman of Bank of the South Pacific Limited, Director of Airlines PNG Limited and Director of Oil Search Limited. Mr.Constantinou is a member of the PNG and Australian Institute of Company Directors.

He serves as Deputy President of the Employers’ Federation of PNG and is the Honorary Consul for Greece in PNG, Honorary Consul for Cyprus in PNG and Trade Commissioner for Solomon Islands to PNG.

Sir John Dawanincura – PNGPGA President (Deputy Chair)

Sir John Dawanincura Kt OBE is the President of the PNG Sports Federation & Olympic Committee (PNGSFOC). He has been involved with the Olympic and sports movement not only in Papua New Guinea but in the Oceania Region and internationally since 1965. He served as the Secretary General of the PNG Olympic Committee for 30 years and attended numerous General Assemblies, Seminars and Conferences of the Olympic Movement, Commonwealth Games Federation and South Pacific Games Council. He has been on the Executive Board of Oceania National Olympic Committee (ONOC) from 1984 to 1993 and was elected on to the Executive Board for ONOC for two terms from 1993 to 1997 and 2001 to 2005. As such he was also on the ANOC Executive Board for those two terms. He was President of the South Pacific Games Council from 1995 – 1999.

Vidhya Lakhan – PGC President

Mr Vidhya Lakhan brings an enormous wealth of games, sporting and commercial management experience to the PNG 2015 Pacific Games Authority. Mr Lakhan has been the President of the Pacific Games Council since 2003 and President of the Fijian Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (FASANOC) since 2005. He was Secretary-General of both organisations before assuming their respective presidencies. Mr Lakhan has also contributed to various Committees of the Olympic, Commonwealth and Pacific Games movements and has been a Chef de Mission for Fijian teams to the Olympic Games on three occasions. He was Director of Sport for the 2003 South Pacific Games in Suva and the Competition Manager for Tennis at the 1979 South Pacific Games. In his professional career, Mr Lakhan was an airline Executive with Air New Zealand for four decades and is currently Chairman of the Bank of South Pacific (Fiji). In recognition of his services to sport and the community, Mr Lakhan has received the Olympic Order (Silver), and is a Member of the Order of Fiji.

Auvita Rapilla – PNGPGA Secretary General

Mrs. Auvita Rapilla took on the role of Secretary General of the PNG Sports Federation & Olympic Committee in January 2011 after 17 years of service as a Sports Administrator with the organisation. She held the position of Deputy Secretary General from 2005 to 2010. She holds a degree in Public Administration from UPNG and Masters Degree in Sport Organisation Management from the University Claude Bernard-Lyon, France. She has been instrumental in introducing changes in the PNG Sports sector with strategic partnership developments and National Federation organisational development. Auvita has held management positions on Team PNG to the Commonwealth and Olympic Games, including Chef De Mission to the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in 2010.

Tamzin Wardley – PNGPGA Treasurer

Ms Tamzin Wardley joined the PNG Sustainable Development Program as Chief Operating Officer at the end of 2009 after working for 15 years for WR Carpenters. At WR Carpenters, Tamzin worked her way up from Group Accountant to Finance Director and Managing Director. Directorships at WR Carpenters covered some 28 companies across PNG, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Australia. Tamzin holds the position of Treasurer of the PNG Sports Federation and Olympic Committee since 2004. She was a member of the PNG 2015 Pacific Games Bid. Tamzin has led Team PNG to international games as Chef De Mission in 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2011.

Peter Tsiamalili Jnr – PNG Sport Foundation CEO

Rugby Union personality Peter Tsiamalili Jnr. is the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of the PNG Sports Foundation after acting in the position for 8 months. Tsiamalili was appointed on July 13th 2014, by the Public Service Minister on the recommendation of the PNG Sports Foundation Board. He is one of the youngest Papua New Guineans to head a government organisation, replacing Iamo Launa in August 2013. Tsiamalili, 36, brings with him a wealth of experience as a player and administrator. He served as the former Operations Manager of PNG Rugby Union from 2003-2007. Tsiamalili also managed the Tsiamalili Legacy as the Managing Director from 2007-2010 and from 2012-2013. He was the National Operations Manager for PNG NRL Bid in 2011. He returned to his home province after that to run his own business in Buka.

His Sporting  achievements range from being a national representative and administrator. He represented the country, touring with the PNG Pukpuks Rugby Union Team in 2002 & 2003. His administrative experience comes from being Vice President of the PNG Rugby Football Union in 2008, Executive Board Member of 2008 Federation of Oceania Rugby from 2005-2007, President of the Bougainville Rugby Football Union from 2006 -2013 and Vice President of University Rugby Union Club from 2005-2007.

Leslie Alu – NCD Governor’s Nominee & City Manager

Mr Leslie Alu is the City Manager at National Capital District Commission. He was previously the Deputy City Manager – Engineering Services before his appointment as City Manager in October 2006. An Engineer by profession, he holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) from PNG University of Technology and a Masters Degree in Engineering Science, specializing in Traffic and Transportation from the Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia. He has previously worked for PNG Power on the construction of Rouna 4 Hydro system before joining NCDC where he worked his way up to be the City Manager. He has worked for the National Capital District for over 26 years.

Ian Alan Tarutia – Co-opted Member

Mr. Ian Tarutia, MBE, FAICD, SA Fin, MPNGID is the Joint Chief Executive Officer of NASFUND and was appointed to this post in July 2007. He holds a Bachelor of Economics (Business) degree from the University of PNG and is a career officer with over 23 years of superannuation administration experience. Ian joined as a withdrawal processing clerk in 1987 and over the years progressed to hold several senior positions including Policy Officer, OIC Housing Advance, Compliance Manager, Investment Analyst, Head of Operations, General Manager and until July 2007, Chief Operating Officer. In other capacities he serves as Chairman of NASFUND Contributors Savings & Loan Society, Director of Credit Corporation, Director of Associated Mills Ltd, Director of Transparency International (PNG) Inc. He is also a Director on the boards of Cloudy Bay Sustainable Forestry Limited, East New Britain Properties Limited, Federation of Savings and Loan Societies Limited and PNG Mama Graun Trust. In the past, he has served as a director on the Ramu Agri Industries Board and Amalpack Limited.

He is also a Past President of both the Papua New Guinea Institute of Directors and the Badili Club, a professional networking association. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Senior Associate of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia.

Stan Joyce – Co-opted Member

Mr Stan Joyce CSM, was appointed General Manager, South Pacific Brewery Limited in 2007 after holding senior management positions with SP since 1996. Stan has been a leading corporate figure in PNG since the 1980s and has been instrumental in forging strong corporate support for sports in PNG. He is a member of the Australian Institute of Marketing and PNG Institute of Directors. Apart from SP Brewery, he is also director of the PNG Business Council and PNG Manufacturers Council. In the past he was President of PNG Chamber of Commerce and Industry (1989- 1993); from 1990 to 1993 he was PNG Representative of Asia Pacific Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Board Member of PNG Physical Planning Appeals Tribunal and Board Member of NISIT. In 1991 he was Member of Government Regulations Advisory Committee (GRAC). Stan is an independent director of Mainland Holdings Limited.

Sir Moi Avei – Co-opted Member

Sir Moi Avei is a leading senior statesman with vast experience in Government and the private sector especially in petroleum and energy. He served three terms as a member of parliament for Kairuku-Hiri from 1992 to 2007 and held key government ministerial portfolios including National Planning and Petroleum & Energy. Sir Moi was the first Minister to come up with a five-year Medium Term Development Strategy (1997-2002). He was the Government’s lead man in the PNG-Queensland Gas Pipeline negotiations that created the environment for what has become the largest single investment in the multi-billion PNG LNG Gas Project led by ExxonMobil.