Pacific Games
Abbreviation | PAG |
---|---|
First event | 1963 |
Occur every | 4 years |
Headquarters | Suva, Fiji |
President | Vidhya Lakhan |
Website | Official Website |
The Pacific Games (formerly known as the South Pacific Games) is a multi-sport event, much like the Olympics (albeit on a much smaller scale), with participation exclusively from countries around the South Pacific. It is held every four years and began in 1963, hosted by Suva, Fiji.
History
Concept
The idea of holding the South Pacific Games originated with Dr A.H. Sahu Khan who was one of Fiji's representatives at a meeting of the South Pacific Commission held at Rabaul during 1959. The idea was adopted and led to a meeting of nine Territories, held in Nouméa during March 1961, which awarded Fiji the honour of hosting the very first Games.[1]
Creation
During 1962, the South Pacific Commission founded the South Pacific Games Council, with the first ever Games being held at Suva, Fiji. In the 40 years since, Games have been held in 12 countries and territories within the region. Initially the Games were held at three-year intervals although this was subsequently expanded to four following the Tumon Games in Guam.
As a residual consequence of the European colonisation of the Pacific from the early part of the 18th Century onwards, many nations who participated in the first Games (of 1963) were under predominantly British or French territorial rule. Understandably this generated a certain amount of confusion as both British and French flags and national anthems dominated proceedings and were occasionally used together for winning countries.
Western Samoa (now Samoa) was the only country with a flag and anthem of its sovereignty as it was the only participating independent island nation at that time. As time went on, fledgling nations gradually achieving sovereignty of their own sought to extricate themselves from their colonial past and new national anthems and flags emerged. Nevertheless, English and French remain the official languages of the Games.[2]
Like other sporting events, the South Pacific Games has experienced slight controversies. A minor dispute that still continues today is the scheduling of events landing on a Sunday. Throughout the Pacific, the Christian Sabbath remains very important (sporting events or similar activity are illegal in Tonga for example) and scheduling at such a time would be frowned upon. The events themselves have also been affected by religious sensitivities, notably beach volleyball where the official uniform of bikinis for women has been forced to give way to more conservative attire.[3] However other larger nations within the region or those loosely associated with more secular states (e.g. Cook Islands (New Zealand), American Samoa (USA), and French Polynesia (France)) are more moderate in this regard.
Other global and regional events have also influenced and shaped the Games' history. In 1995, the year Papeete, Tahiti hosted the Games, many countries took the decision to boycott as a direct protest at French nuclear testing in the Pacific.[4] The Games, however, returned to near full regional participation in the following event in 1999, held on Guam.
The first objective of the Pacific Games Council, according to its Charter,[5] is
"To create bonds of kindred friendship and brotherhood amongst people of the countries of the Pacific region through sporting exchange without any distinctions as to race, religion or politics."
The Games were initiated to promote and develop sport amongst the nations and peoples of the South Pacific.[1] After fifty years in existence, The South Pacific Commission changed its name to the Secretariat of the Pacific Community in 1998.[1]
Modern day games
The XII South Pacific Games held in Suva, Fiji saw for the first time the introduction of a full program of 32 sports.[6] That program included sports that are synonymous with the Pacific region as well as sports that have a limited participation and are generally not well established.
A strong corporate sponsorship package a first for the games enabled the organizers to work with a free hand towards their aims of making the games a success. A colorful and effective media and publicity campaign generated much interest and enthusiasm among the public in Fiji. Schools and youth groups were involved in interactive programs such as the adopt-a-country program also a first for the games.[7]
The XIII Pacific Games were hosted in Apia, Samoa. They were the 13th to have been held since 1963. In contrast to the Olympic Games which are expected to generate income for the host nation,[8] the 2007 Pacific Games were expected to leave Samoa US$92million in debt, predominantly as a result of expenditure on large-scale infrastructure projects such as bridges and roads.[9]
Potential debt positions notwithstanding, five nations (Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Tonga and American Samoa) bid for the 2015 Pacific Games. The Games were ultimately awarded to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea and follow the 2011 Pacific Games held in Nouméa, New Caledonia. However the rising cost (purportedly in excess of $1 billion) and the logistical burden of putting on the games continue to threaten countries' abilities to host the event.[10]
Pacific Games Council
The games governing body is the Pacific Games Council. The Games council flag is presented to the host nation of the next games at the end of every games. With expansion and economic growth in the Pacific and Oceania countries of the Pacific Islands it was now appropriate for the South Pacific Games Council to modernise and revise its charter in light of these changes in the region and the changing place of Sport in our society, thus the council adapted a new charter in 2007.
The current President of the Council is Vidhya Lakhan from Fiji.
Member associations
Membership of the Council includes internationally recognised National Multisport Organisations within countries and territories who are members of the Pacific Community.[5] There are currently 22 members.[11] Pitcairn Island is the only Pacific Community member that is not member of the Pacific Council, whereas Norfolk Island is admitted as member of the Pacific Games Council although not a member of the Pacific Community.
15 members are also member associations of the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC).[11] Since 2015 games Australia and New Zealand participates in Pacific Games.
In July 2014, the Oceania National Olympic Committees announced their members had voted to allow Australia and New Zealand to participate in four sports, on a provisional basis, in the 2015 Pacific Games. The risk of seeing the two wealthy, developed nations dominate the competition had previously prevented their inclusion. They would be allowed to send participants only in rugby sevens, sailing, taekwondo and weightlifting - sports where other Pacific countries had proved sufficiently competitive against them in the past.[12]
Nation | Organisation |
Website | |
---|---|---|---|
American Samoa | American Samoa National Olympic Committee (ASNOC) | oceaniasport.com/amsam | |
Cook Islands | Cook Islands Sports and National Olympic Committee (CISNOC) | oceaniasport.com/cookis | |
Federated States of Micronesia | Federated States of Micronesia National Olympic Committee (FSMNOC) | oceaniasport.com/fsm | |
Fiji | Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (FASANOC) | fijiolympiccommittee.com | |
Guam | Guam National Olympic Committee (GNOC) | oceaniasport.com/guam | |
Kiribati | Kiribati National Olympic Committee (KNOC) | oceaniasport.com/kiribati | |
Marshall Islands | Marshall Islands National Olympic Committee (MINOC) | oceaniasport.com/marshalls | |
Nauru | Nauru Olympic Committee | oceaniasport.com/nauru | |
/ New Caledonia | Le Comité Territorial Olympique et Sportif de Nouvelle-Calédonie (CTOS) | www.ctos.nc | |
Niue | Niue Island Sports and Commonwealth Games Association (NISCGA) | oceaniasport.com/niue | |
Norfolk Island | Norfolk Island Amateur Sports & Commonwealth Games Association | sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?assoc=3852 | |
Northern Mariana Islands | Northern Marianas Amateur Sports Association | sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?assoc=3859 | |
Palau | Palau National Olympic Committee (PNOC) | oceaniasport.com/palau | |
Papua New Guinea | Papua New Guinea Sports Federation & National Olympic Committee (PNGSFOC) | oceaniasport.com/png | |
Samoa | Samoa Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (SASNOC) | oceaniasport.com/samoa | |
Solomon Islands | Solomon Islands National Olympic Committee (NOCSI) | oceaniasport.com/solomon | |
/ Tahiti | Comité Olympique de Tahiti Nui (COPF) | www.copf.pf | |
Tokelau | Tokelau Sports Federation | sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?assoc=3861 | |
Tonga | Tonga Sports Association and National Olympic Committee (TASANOC) | oceaniasport.com/tonga | |
Tuvalu | Tuvalu Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (TASNOC) | oceaniasport.com/tuvalu | |
Vanuatu | Vanuatu Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (VASANOC) | oceaniasport.com/vanuatu | |
/ Wallis and Futuna | Comité Territorial Olympique et Sportif des Iles Wallis et Futuna (CTOSWF) | wallisetfutuna.franceolympique.com |
South Pacific Games locations
Year | Games | Host City | Country | Dates | Athletes | Nations | Sports | Top Medalling Nation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1963 | I | Suva | Fiji | 29 August – 8 September | 700 | 13 | 10 | Fiji |
1966 | II | Nouméa | New Caledonia | 8–18 December | 1200 | 14 | 12 | New Caledonia |
1969 | III | Port Moresby | Papua New Guinea | 13–23 August | 1150 | 12 | 15 | New Caledonia |
1971 | IV | Papeete | French Polynesia | 25 August – 5 September | 2000 | 14 | 17 | New Caledonia |
1975 | V | Tumon | Guam | 1–10 August | 1205 | 13 | 16 | New Caledonia |
1979 | VI | Suva | Fiji | 28 August – 8 September | 2672 | 19 | 18 | New Caledonia |
1983 | VII | Apia | Western Samoa | 5–16 September | 2500 | 19 | 14 | New Caledonia |
1987 | VIII | Nouméa | New Caledonia | 8–20 December | 1650 | 12 | 18 | New Caledonia |
1991 | IX | Port Moresby | Papua New Guinea | 7–21 September | 2000 | 16 | 17 | Papua New Guinea |
1995 | X | Papeete | / French Polynesia | 25 August – 5 September | 2000 | 12 | 25 | New Caledonia |
1999 | XI | Santa Rita | Guam | 29 May – 12 June | 3000+ | 21 | 22 | New Caledonia |
2003 | XII | Suva | Fiji | 28 June – 12 July | 5000 | 22 | 32 | New Caledonia |
2007 | XIII | Apia | Samoa | 25 August – 8 September | 5000 | 22 | 33 | / New Caledonia |
2011 | XIV | Nouméa | New Caledonia | 27 August – 10 September | 4300 | 22 | 28 | New Caledonia |
2015 | XV | Port Moresby [13] | Papua New Guinea | 4–18 July | 3700 | 24 | 28 | Papua New Guinea |
2019 | XVI | Nukuʻalofa [14] | Tonga |
Pacific Mini Games
Since 1981 the region has also run the Pacific Mini Games (previously the South Pacific Mini Games) to enable smaller nations to host events and compete against each other. Also a multi-sport event, it is a scaled-down version of the main Pacific Games and is similarly rotated on a four-year basis in the intervening years between the main games.
The following cities and nations have hosted (or will host) the Pacific Mini Games:
Year | Games | Host City | Country | Dates | Athletes | Nations | Sports | Top Medalling Nation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1981 | I | Honiara | Solomon Islands | 7–19 July | 600 | 15 | 5 | New Caledonia |
1985 | II | Rarotonga | Cook Islands | 31 July - 9 August | 700 | 15 | 6 | Papua New Guinea |
1989 | III | Nukuʻalofa | Tonga | 22 August - 1 September | 832 | 16 | 6 | Western Samoa |
1993 | IV | Port Vila | Vanuatu | 9–16 December | 15 | 6 | Fiji | |
1997 | V | Pago Pago | American Samoa | 11–22 August | 1798 | 19 | 11 | Nauru |
2001 | VI | Kingston | Norfolk Island | 3–14 December | 18 | 10 | Fiji | |
2005 | VII | Koror | Palau | 25 July - 4 August | 20 | 12 | New Caledonia | |
2009 | VIII | Rarotonga | Cook Islands | 21 September - 2 October | 21 | 15 | Fiji | |
2013 | IX | Mata-Utu | / Wallis and Futuna | 2 – 12 September | 22 | 8 | Tahiti | |
2017 | X | Port Vila [15] | Vanuatu | |||||
2021 | XI | Majuro | Marshall Islands |
As with the main games, the cost of providing the necessary facilities and infrastructure is a concern to the region's smaller nations. In preparation for the 2009 Games in Rarotonga, despite having hosted the games previously, the local government considered diverting funds from a highway project, and secured a loan for US$10 million from the Chinese government to finance the building of a stadium.[16][17]
Sports
There are 37 sports approved by the Pacific Games Council, as at July 2014.[18] The 2019 Pacific Games shall consist of a maximum 26 sports, of which those listed below in bold are compulsory.
Former sports include rugby 15s (replaced by rugby 7s), rugby league 7s (replaced by rugby league 9s) and underwater fishing (last contested in 1999).
Notes:
^* Denotes an optional sport that has not so far featured at any Pacific Games.
^† Football for men must be included on the programme. The optional addition of football for women does not increase the total number of sports. For the first time in 2007, the Pacific Games formed part of the qualification for the FIFA World Cup.[19]
^‡ Touch rugby is an optional sport but men's, women's and mixed tournaments must be included if touch rugby is selected.
^§ Volleyball and beach volleyball disciplines have been listed as one sport for the purposes of the Games programme, since some time after the bids for the XV Games (in conjunction with the maximum number of sports being reduced from 28 to 26 for the XVI Games).[20][21]
Open competition; non-gender specific.
Women's competition only.
Men's competition only.
All-time medal tallies
Pacific Games
Officially the final medal tally of the Games does not recognize a winner, regarding competition and fair play more highly.[7]
Australia and New Zealand were included in the all-time medal count for the first time after the 2015 Pacific Games in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. The table below includes all Games from 1963 to 2015.
Pacific Games medal count | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pos | Country | Total | |||
1 | New Caledonia | 838 | 673 | 585 | 2096 |
2 | / French Polynesia | 485 | 413 | 438 | 1336 |
3 | Papua New Guinea | 432 | 399 | 404 | 1235 |
4 | Fiji | 419 | 506 | 430 | 1355 |
5 | Samoa (includes Western Samoa) | 184 | 152 | 157 | 493 |
6 | Nauru | 81 | 51 | 30 | 162 |
7 | Guam | 62 | 91 | 122 | 275 |
8 | Tonga | 45 | 55 | 82 | 182 |
9 | American Samoa | 44 | 43 | 74 | 161 |
10 | Cook Islands | 25 | 43 | 56 | 124 |
11 | Wallis and Futuna | 23 | 36 | 76 | 135 |
12 | Solomon Islands | 17 | 48 | 87 | 152 |
13 | Australia | 16 | 19 | 11 | 46 |
14 | Federated States of Micronesia | 16 | 16 | 11 | 43 |
15 | Vanuatu (includes New Hebrides) | 14 | 41 | 65 | 120 |
16 | Palau | 9 | 14 | 10 | 33 |
17 | Norfolk Island | 5 | 13 | 17 | 35 |
18 | Kiribati (includes Gilbert) | 5 | 11 | 20 | 36 |
19 | Northern Mariana Islands | 4 | 12 | 12 | 28 |
20 | Tokelau | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
21 | New Zealand | 1 | 9 | 10 | 20 |
22 | Tuvalu (includes Ellice) | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
23 | Marshall Islands | - | 3 | 11 | 14 |
24 | Niue | - | 2 | 7 | 9 |
Pacific Mini Games
Note: Table is incomplete.
Pacific Mini Games medal count | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pos | Country | Total | |||
1 | New Caledonia | 190 | 152 | 111 | 453 |
2 | Fiji | 157 | 134 | 138 | 429 |
3 | French Polynesia | 129 | 94 | 84 | 307 |
4 | Papua New Guinea | 116 | 129 | 122 | 367 |
5 | Samoa | 105 | 59 | 73 | 237 |
6 | Nauru | 65 | 14 | 16 | 95 |
7 | Cook Islands | 34 | 44 | 44 | 122 |
See also
- Athletics at the Pacific Games
- All-time Pacific Mini Games medal tally
References
- 1 2 3 "History". Pacific Games Council Official Website. 2013. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
- ↑ Charter 2007, p. 6.
- ↑ Bikinis out, Shorts in at Beach Volleyball Pacific Radio News - Niue FM, 29 August 2007
- ↑ French tests: Opposition grows, article summarising the response to French nuclear testing in the Pacific from World Information Service on Energy retrieved 19 February 2007
- 1 2 Charter 2007, p. 4.
- ↑ Sidsnet.org Archived May 4, 2005 at the Wayback Machine
- 1 2 2003 Twelfth South Pacific Games, Suva, Fiji
- ↑ Article by CBRE regarding increase to gross domestic product and real estate values as a result of the 2004 Athens Olympics
- ↑ "Games puts Samoa in debt". ABC Radio Australia. 2007-09-03. Retrieved 2007-09-03.
- ↑ Paligaru, Clement. "PNG risks losing right to host 2015 Pacific Games". ABC: Radio Australia. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
- 1 2 "Pacific Games Council - DIRECTORY 2013" (PDF 0.4 MB). Pacific Games Council. 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ↑ "Aussies, Kiwis join Pacific Games: IOC pushes for Oceania to have a true continental games", Pacific Sunday News, 20 July 2014
- ↑ PNG2015 - Papua New Guinea Wins, published by the Pacific Games Council, on 2009-10-08. Retrieved 2009-10-08.
- ↑ "Tonga to host 2019 Pacific Games", Matangi Tong, 19 October 2012
- ↑ "CNMI loses Micro Games bid", Saipan Tribune, 30 December 2011
- ↑ Stadium and China loan on hold Cook Islands News Online, 12 September 2007
- ↑ "Stadium for Mini Games in Cooks gets go-ahead". Radio New Zealand. 11 March 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-03-11.
- ↑ Charter 2014, p. 16–17.
- ↑ "OFC 2010 FIFA World Cup route via Asia". Oceania Football Confederation. 7 December 2006. Archived from the original on 28 April 2007. Retrieved 20 December 2006.
- ↑ PGC 2010, pp. 15–16.
- ↑ PGC 2012, pp. 15–16.
Sources
- Charter – Constitution adopted Apia, Samoa 14 May 2006 – Protocols and Regulations adopted by Executive Board on 17th January 2007 and 20th March 2007 (PDF) (Report). Pacific Games Council. 2007. Archived from the original (PDF 0.3 MB) on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
- Charter - Constitution, Code of Conduct, Protocols, and Regulations adopted Apia, Samoa 14 May 2006 - As amended most recently in Noumea, New Caledonia, 27 August 2010 (PDF 0.3 MB) (Report). Pacific Games Council. 2010. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
- Charter - Constitution, Code of Conduct, Protocols, and Regulations adopted Apia, Samoa 14 May 2006 - As amended most recently in Wallis Island, 19 October 2012 (PDF 0.3 MB) (Report). Pacific Games Council. 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
- Charter - Constitution, Code of Conduct, Protocols, and Regulations adopted Apia, Samoa 14 May 2006 - As amended most recently in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 4 July 2014 (PDF 0.3 MB) (Report). Pacific Games Council. 2014. Archived from the original on 27 October 2015.
External links
- Pacific Games archive on the Oceania Sport Information Centre webpage
- List of South Pacific Games and Mini Games on www.rsssf.com by Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation
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