Pacific and Mini Games to scale back events

The Executive Board of the Pacific Games Council (PCG) is recommending reducing the number of sport events at future editions of the Pacific Games (PGA) and Mini Games.

As result of financial concerns and dwindling participation of Pacific Games-member nations since 2003, from the 28 sports hosted at the 2011 Pacific Games in New Caledonia, the PCG Board is proposing 26 be held at future Games, while the Mini Games' size will be reduced to 12 from 15.

The following was recommended in a 36-page report to the Board "the Pacific Games Council must stay ahead of the curve on this issue and fundamentally address the real risk of diminishing priority afforded to the Pacific Games by the athletes and national federations. The crowding of the international calendar by an ever-increasing array of competition platforms which are available to the athletes, especially Oceania zone Olympic qualifiers, plus the high cost of travel throughout the Pacific, heighten these risks considerably.

"This was demonstrated at the 2011 Pacific Games in the team sports with numerous withdrawals by some Polynesian PGA teams sports in order to focus resources on other international events. Combined with squad reductions and/or withdrawals in individual sports by almost all PGAs, this meant that NC2011 planned for hundreds of athletes who never traveled to Noumea."

With the proposed reduction, only 13 compulsory sports out of the 26 must be included in the calendar of events at future Pacific Games.

Out of the 13, nine sports have already been identified: athletics, basketball, golf, rugby 7's (men's), swimming, table tennis, tennis, canoe racing, and weightlifting. These sports were selected based on their high participation rate during the 2007 Pacific Games in Samoa and last year's competition in New Caledonia.

Four former optional events: sports-boxing, taekwondo, judo, and women's rugby 7's-were recommended for inclusion on the compulsory list, while beach and indoor volleyball were combined to fill the 13th event.

Football is demoted to optional from compulsory sport, while netball, bodybuilding, power lifting, and triathlon are placed on the "watch list" for consideration in the sports program review.

If approved, the proposed reduction of the Pacific Games will be implemented after the 2015 event in Papua New Guinea, while the Mini Games' new calendar will take effect at the conclusion of the 2017 competition in Vanuatu.

The suggested reduction of both games and other changes in the Pacific Games Charter will be put to a vote during the PGA general assembly in Wallis & Futuna on 18th and 19th October.

Preparations for the 14th Pacific Games were featured in the July/August 2011 issue of Australasian Leisure Management.

Image: The Centre Aquatique Régional Dumbéa, as used for the 2011 Pacific Games in New Caledonia.

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