 | |
| Location | Topside, Meneng District, Nauru |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 0°32′24″S166°56′10″E / 0.5400°S 166.9360°E |
| Owner | Government of Nauru |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | April 2023 |
| Opened | 2026 (anticipated) |
| Tenants | |
| Nauru Olympic Committee Nauru AFL Leagues Nauru Soccer Federation | |
The New Nauru Stadium is a multi-use stadium currently under construction on the Pacific island nation of Nauru. [1]
The stadium is located on Portion 230 in the Meneng District’s interior plateau, also known as Topside. [2] The government of Nauru has identified the area around the stadium as a key location for land reclamation and future development, including a sustainably-designed neighborhood, as part of the Higher Ground Initiative. [3] [4]
Since at least 2011 the government of Nauru had planned to construct a new 10,000-seat national stadium on reclaimed phosphate mining land in the interior of the island as part of the nation's unsuccessful bid to host the 2017 Pacific Mini Games. The venue, with a projected construction cost of AUD $4.2 million, would then have served as the home of Australian rules football in Nauru. [5]
In July 2022 it was announced that Nauru had been selected to host the 2026 Micronesian Games, the first time the nation had been selected as host. As part of the announcement, Minister of Sports Maverick Eoe announced the upcoming construction of relevant and much-needed sports infrastructure projects, including an athletics stadium. The stadium would be modeled after the Majuro Track and Field Stadium being built by the Marshall Islands to host the 2023 edition of the same tournament. [6] The Marshall Islands stadium also includes an association football pitch. [7]
Financial assistance for preparation for the tournament was offered from donor partners. These funds would be used, in part, for infrastructure projects. [8] Several days after the original announcement, Minister for Sports Eoe stated that Nauru was hoping for additional donors to build the stadium and a proper weightlifting gym facility. [9] During a November 2022 state visit, the government of Taiwan agreed to fund and assist with planning of the 2026 Micronesian Games, including covering the costs of the track and field stadium and other necessary facilities. The next step was for Nauru to present detailed plans and costing for the project. [10]
In October 2022 Deputy Minister for Sports Jesse Jeremiah and Secretary for Sports Dagan Kaierua visited the Marshall Islands capital Majuro to inspect the track and field stadium as part of Nauru's infrastructure planning for the games. [11]
In April 2023, blasting operations began in the Meneng District’s Topside to construct an access road for the Higher Ground Initiative Project and the new stadium. [2] In August 2023, Taiwan’s Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Chung Kwang Tien visited the proposed site of the stadium to assess the progress of clearing and leveling the land which was formerly used for phosphate mining. The earthworks were being performed by the Nauru Rehabilitation Corporation and the Republic of Nauru Phosphate Corporation (RONPhos). [12]
Nauru switched diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to the People's Republic of China in January 2024. China reportedly offered Nauru unlimited infrastructure development aid, including the construction of the sports stadium, as part of the policy change. [13] In May 2024, a team from the China International Development Cooperation Agency visited Nauru to survey for the stadium. [14]
The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands, is an island country west of the International Date Line and north of the equator in the Micronesia region in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. The territory consists of 29 coral atolls and five islands, divided across two island chains: Ratak in the east and Ralik in the west. 97.87% of its territory is water, the largest proportion of water to land of any sovereign state. The country shares maritime boundaries with Wake Island to the north, Kiribati to the southeast, Nauru to the south, and the Federated States of Micronesia to the west. The capital and largest city is Majuro, home to approximately half of the country's population.
Nauru, officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country and microstate in Micronesia, part of Oceania in the Central Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba of Kiribati, about 300 km (190 mi) to the east.
The history of human activity in Nauru, an island country in the Pacific Ocean, began roughly 3,000 years ago when clans settled the island.
Nauru is a tiny phosphate rock island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean south of the Marshall Islands in Oceania. It is only 53 kilometres (33 mi) south of the Equator at coordinates 0°32′S166°55′E. Nauru is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean—the others are Banaba in Kiribati and Makatea in French Polynesia, and it is only country of the world that consisted from only one island on the sea or ocean.
Majuro is the capital and largest city of the Marshall Islands. It is also a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean. It forms a legislative district of the Ratak (Sunrise) Chain of the Marshall Islands. The atoll has a land area of 9.7 square kilometers (3.7 sq mi) and encloses a lagoon of 295 square kilometers (114 sq mi). As with other atolls in the Marshall Islands, Majuro consists of narrow land masses. It has a tropical trade wind climate, with an average temperature of 27 °C (81 °F).
Nauru, following independence from the United Kingdom, became a sovereign, independent republic on 31 January 1968. Nauru has established diplomatic relations with a number of nations, including most of its Pacific neighbors with which it maintains economic, cultural and administrative ties.
Aiwo is a district in the Pacific country of Nauru. Jarrit Morpak is the city's mayor, elected in 2008. It belongs to Aiwo Constituency.
Meneñ Stadium is a former stadium on the island Nauru. It is located in the Meneng District. Constructed in 2006, it had a capacity of 3,500 spectators. Unlike other stadiums on the island, Meneñ Stadium had bleachers for spectators.
The displacement of the traditional culture of Nauru by contemporary western influences is evident on the island. Little remains from the old customs. The traditions of arts and crafts are nearly lost.
The 7th Micronesian Games was held August 1–10 in Palau.
The Micronesian Games are a quadrennial international multi-sport event within the Micronesian region. The Games were first held in 1969 in Saipan. The 2010 Micronesian Games were initially due to be held in Majuro, until the hosts withdrew. The 2010 Games were hosted by Palau. The Federated States of Micronesia won the bidding to host the 2014 Micronesian Games in Pohnpei State, and later won again against CNMI for the 2018 Micronesian Games, held in Yap State.
Oceania is, to the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China, a stage for continuous diplomatic competition. The PRC dictates that no state can have diplomatic relations with both the PRC and the ROC. As of 2024, eleven states in Oceania have diplomatic relations with the PRC, and three have diplomatic relations with the ROC. These numbers fluctuate as Pacific Island nations re-evaluate their foreign policies, and occasionally shift diplomatic recognition between Beijing and Taipei. The issue of which "Chinese" government to recognize has become a central theme in the elections of numerous Pacific island nations, and has led to several votes of no-confidence.
Stadium diplomacy is a form of subsidy practiced by a nation through building and financing the construction of stadiums and sports facilities. China uses this form of soft power to secure diplomatic recognition in line with the One-China policy and to secure natural resources.
The Nauru national soccer team is the national team that represents the Pacific island nation of Nauru in soccer. It is under the auspices of the Nauru Soccer Federation which hopes to become a member of the OFC and FIFA and compete in official competitions of the organizations.
Lionel Rouwen Aingimea is a Nauruan lawyer and politician. He served as President of Nauru from 2019 to 2022. He currently serves as Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Nauru.
The Majuro Track and Field Stadium is a 2,000-capacity Olympic-grade multi-purpose stadium in Majuro, the capital of the Marshall Islands. It is mostly used for track and field and soccer events. The structure also serves as a large seawall in the densely populated part of Majuro which has become inundated with seawater through the effects of climate change, particularly during king tide.
The following lists events that happened during 2022 in the Republic of Nauru.
The 10th Micronesian Games were held in Majuro, Marshall Islands. After initially being scheduled for July 25 to August 5, 2022, the competition was originally delayed a year because of challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, including finishing construction of the New Marshall Islands Stadium. The games were held June 15-24, 2024.
The Marshall Islands national football team represents the Pacific island nation of the Marshall Islands in senior men's international football and is controlled by the Marshall Islands Soccer Federation. It hopes to become a member of the OFC and FIFA in the "coming years" and compete in official competitions of the organizations. In an October 2023 interview with the Associated Press, Technical Director Lloyd Owers stated that the association was keeping all options open, including joining the Asian Football Confederation.
Maverick Eoe is a Nauruan politician.