APIA, 15 JULY 2019 (INSIDE THE GAMES) —Palau have been awarded the 2025 Pacific Mini Games, it was announced in Apia on Sunday. It will be the second time Palau has held the event, with its largest city Koror hosting in 2005.
The decision to award the Games to Palau comes after the Pacific Games Council (PGC) were forced to defer the bid process. American Samoa and Niue both lodged bids in the initial process but were deemed to have failed to meet requirements last year. Both bids lacked the Government guarantee which is required to host, with the PGC saying the financial underwriting of the Games is essential.
American Samoa had featured in the second bid process but was beaten by Palau. Palau secured 16 of the 21 votes cast.
The multi-sport event is a scaled-down version of the Pacific Games.
The ongoing Samoa 2019 Pacific Games here have featured 26 sports, compared to the last edition of the Mini Games which had 14. Vanuatu staged the last edition of the Pacific Mini Games back in December 2017. The next edition is due to take place in Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands in 2021.
The PGC also named their first life member with New Caledonia’s Roger Kaddour receiving the honor. Kaddour was one of the three drafters of the original PGC charter in the early 1960s. He later served as the President of the Pacific Games Council. He led the Organising Committees of the 1966 and 1987 Pacific Games, two of the three occasions New Caledonia has hosted.
Approval was granted for the creation of life membership positions at last year’s General Assembly. The category will recognize significant service by an individual with a maximum of three life memberships will be allowed at any one time. Both associate and life memberships will be proposed by the PGC Executive Committee, and require the approval of the General Assembly.
The PGC meeting was held Sunday on the rest day of Samoa 2019.
SOURCE: (PACNEWS)
