Pacific Games Council

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Pacific Games Council
Conseil des Jeux du Pacifique (French)
AbbreviationPGC (English), CJP (French)
Formation1962;63 years ago (1962)
Founders South Pacific Commission
Type Sports governing body
Headquarters Suva, Fiji
Membership22 active members, 2 associate members, 17 individual National Olympic Committees
Official language
English, French (reference language), and the host country's language when necessary
President
Vidhya Lakhan
Vice Presidents
Marcus Stephen
Laurent Cassier
Tamzin Wardley
Chief Executive Officer
Andrew Minogue
Athletes' Representative
Ryan Pini

The Pacific Games Council (PGC; French: Conseil des Jeux du Pacifique, CJP) is the sports governing body for the Pacific Games, a multi-sport competition involving nations and territories across the Pacific region. [1] The Council is responsible for managing and coordinating the Games, supporting the growth of sport throughout the Pacific, and promoting regional unity and cultural exchange through athletic competition. [2]

Contents

In addition to the main event, the PGC administers the Pacific Mini Games, which are staged every four years between the main Games. [3] It collaborates with national Olympic committees, governmental bodies, and sporting federations to enhance sports development and performance standards within the region. [4]

Structure

The Council is governed by:

The Council adheres to a constitution (its Charter), with Official languages of English and French. [2]

Members 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, 15 of which are members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). [6] The Pitcairn Islands are the only Pacific Community member that is not a member of the Pacific Games Council, whereas Norfolk Island was admitted as a member of the Council despite not being a member of the Pacific Community.

In July 2014, the Oceania National Olympic Committees voted to allow Australia and New Zealand to take part in the 2015 Pacific Games. The risk of seeing the two wealthy, populous developed nations dominate the competition had previously prevented their inclusion. They were 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. [7] New Zealand was allowed to compete in the 2019 men's football competition with an U-23 team, which won the gold medal. [8] Australia and New Zealand have since continued to compete on an invitational basis.

In 2018, the Council created an "associate membership" category for other territories in Oceania. [9] Potential candidates for membership include Bougainville, Easter Island, Western New Guinea, Hawaii and Christmas Island. [10]

NationOrganisationWebsite
Flag of American Samoa.svg  American Samoa American Samoa National Olympic Committee (ASNOC) asnoc.org/
Flag of the Cook Islands.svg  Cook Islands Cook Islands Sports and National Olympic Committee (CISNOC) oceaniasport.com/cookis
Flag of the Federated States of Micronesia.svg  Federated States of Micronesia Federated States of Micronesia National Olympic Committee (FSMNOC) oceaniasport.com/fsm
Flag of Fiji.svg  Fiji Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (FASANOC) fijiolympiccommittee.com
Flag of Guam.svg  Guam Guam National Olympic Committee (GNOC) oceaniasport.com/guam
Flag of Kiribati.svg  Kiribati Kiribati National Olympic Committee (KNOC) oceaniasport.com/kiribati
Flag of the Marshall Islands.svg  Marshall Islands Marshall Islands National Olympic Committee (MINOC) oceaniasport.com/marshalls
Flag of Nauru.svg  Nauru Nauru Olympic Committee oceaniasport.com/nauru
New Caledonia flags merged (2017).svg New Caledonia Comité Territorial Olympique et Sportif de Nouvelle-Calédonie (CTOS) www.ctos.nc
Flag of Niue.svg  Niue Niue Island Sports and Commonwealth Games Association (NISCGA) oceaniasport.com/niue
Flag of Norfolk Island.svg  Norfolk Island Norfolk Island Amateur Sports & Commonwealth Games Association sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?assoc=3852
Flag of the Northern Mariana Islands.svg  Northern Mariana Islands Northern Marianas Amateur Sports Association sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?assoc=3859
Flag of Palau.svg  Palau Palau National Olympic Committee (PNOC) oceaniasport.com/palau
Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg  Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea Sports Federation & National Olympic Committee (PNGSFOC) oceaniasport.com/png
Flag of Samoa.svg  Samoa Samoa Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (SASNOC) oceaniasport.com/samoa
Flag of the Solomon Islands.svg  Solomon Islands Solomon Islands National Olympic Committee (NOCSI) oceaniasport.com/solomon
Flag of French Polynesia.svg  Tahiti Comité olympique de Polynésie française (COPF) www.copftahiti.com
Flag of Tokelau.svg  Tokelau Tokelau Sports Federation sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?assoc=3861
Flag of Tonga.svg  Tonga Tonga Sports Association and National Olympic Committee (TASANOC) oceaniasport.com/tonga
Flag of Tuvalu.svg  Tuvalu Tuvalu Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (TASNOC) oceaniasport.com/tuvalu
Flag of Vanuatu.svg  Vanuatu Vanuatu Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (VASANOC) oceaniasport.com/vanuatu
Flag of Wallis and Futuna.svg  Wallis and Futuna Comité Territorial Olympique et Sportif des Iles Wallis et Futuna (CTOSWF) wallisetfutuna.franceolympique.com

Executive board

The executive board manages the affairs of the PGC. Its members include the President, three Vice Presidents, and two other members. [11] All members are elected, by secret ballot, by a majority of votes cast, for a four-year term.

DesignationNameCountry
President Vidhya Lakhan Flag of Fiji.svg  Fiji
Vice Presidents Marcus Stephen Flag of Nauru.svg  Nauru
Laurent Cassier Flags of New Caledonia.svg New Caledonia
Tamzin Wardley Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg  Papua New Guinea
Chief Executive Officer Andrew Minogue Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
Athletes' Representative Ryan Pini Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg  Papua New Guinea

Committees

CommitteeDesignationNameCountry
SportsChair Marcus Stephen Flag of Nauru.svg  Nauru
Members Ryan Pini Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg  Papua New Guinea
Roger Wahl Flag of Guam.svg  Guam
Michel Quintin Flags of New Caledonia.svg New Caledonia
Milton Bradley Flag of Norfolk Island.svg  Norfolk Island
Yvonne Mullins Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
MarketingChair Laurent Cassier Flags of New Caledonia.svg New Caledonia
Members Damien Beddoes Flag of the Cook Islands.svg  Cook Islands
Joseph Rodan Sr. Flag of Fiji.svg  Fiji
Tala Pauga Flag of Samoa.svg  Samoa
Allan Kalfabun Flag of Vanuatu.svg  Vanuatu
Jerry Tan Flag of the Northern Mariana Islands.svg  Northern Mariana Islands
Audit and FinanceChair Tamzin Wardley Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg  Papua New Guinea
Members Joey Miranda III Flag of Guam.svg  Guam
Charles Tauziet Flag of French Polynesia.svg  Tahiti

Presidents

NameCountry/TerritoryTerm
Vidhya LakhanFijicurrent (as of 2025)
Paul WallworkSamoa(elected 1991)

See also

References

  1. Pacific Games Council – About
  2. 1 2 Pacific Games Council Charter
  3. Pacific Mini Games – History
  4. Oceania National Olympic Committees – PGC Partner Page
  5. Charter 2007, p. 4.
  6. "Pacific Games Council - DIRECTORY 2013" (PDF 0.4 MB). Pacific Games Council. 2013. Archived from the original on 16 May 2013. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
  7. "Vanuatu committed to 2017 Pacific Mini Games". Cook Islands News. 11 May 2017. Archived from the original on 7 October 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
  8. "Promising U-23 group heading to Samoa". New Zealand Football. 1 July 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
  9. "Australia and New Zealand involvement in Pacific Games expected to grow further". insidethegames.biz. 30 October 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  10. Butler, Nick (30 October 2012). "West Papua, Hawaii and Christmas Island mooted as future Pacific Mini Games participants". insidethegames.biz. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  11. "Pacific Games Council – Directory 2021" . Retrieved 1 August 2025.