Pacific sporting community mourns the death of Joe Carlo

Transcript

VIDHYA LAKHAN: We knew that he was not in good health but I was in Vanuatu about a month ago and we had the occasion to meet with Joe, and we had a number of meetings with Government officials and all that. Though he had slowed down he still had the capacity to contribute to the organisation and the delivery of the 2017 Games. We all know that Joe had been with VASANOC for a couple of decades as a member on the executive board and he was President of VASANOC for a very long time. In that capacity, he also served on ONOC's executive board for a couple of terms and he was a regular delegate of Vanuatu to the Pacific Games Council. Of course he was very much involved, I think it was in 1993 or 1991, when Vanuatu hosted the first Mini Games - he was the CEO and chief organiser of the Games. Joe has had a long history of connection in the development of sport in Vanuatu and I know he will be missed by Vanuatu and the wider Pacific community. Joe is a very capable administrator and I guess the legacy that he has left behind for people who are following in his footsteps will find the strategies that Joe had put in place will help them continue on planning and delivering a very successful Games in 2017.

VINNIE WYLIE: Not only was he obviously instrumental, as you say, in bringing the first Mini Games to Vanuatu, he was still quite significantly involved in the most recent one - or the one that's about to happen next year - initially as CEO and still more recently as a member of the Organising Committee.

VL: Yes, in fact, Joe as the leader of the bid team that put up the bid to host the 2017 Games and as well all know now the bid was successful. Then when he came back he was appointed as the CEO of the Games Organising Committee. He did a lot of preliminary work with the government and of course it wasn't an easy task for Joe because the government kept changing in Vanuatu in the last two years, but he was able to get the message across to the Vanuatu government - whichever government was in power -  that there's a commitment made and they have to honour that commitment. It was only about a couple of weeks ago, because of Joe's failing health, that he was relieved of his duty, mutually and in consultation with Joe and we've got a new CEO. Joe still had an important role as a government liaison person on the Organising Committee and his contributions that he was making was very well received and very much appreciated with the new team.