Pacific Mini Games

Last updated

Pacific Mini Games
Pacific Logo.svg
AbbreviationPMG
First event1981
Occur every4 years
Headquarters Suva, Fiji
PresidentVidhya Lakhan

The Pacific Mini Games are a continental multi-sport event contested by countries and territories located in Oceania. The event has been held every four years since the inaugural games in Honiara, Solomon Islands in 1981. It was known as the South Pacific Mini Games prior to 2009. It is called the 'Mini' games because 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.

Contents

The Mini Games have been hosted by 9 different Pacific Island capitals around 4 countries and 5 territories. The Cook Islands have hosted twice and is scheduled for a third in 2029. Vanuatu and Palau have also hosted two Games. Similarly to the main Games, athletes with a disability are included as full members of their national teams. In each sporting event, gold medals are awarded for first place, silver medals are awarded for second place, and bronze medals are awarded for third place.

Unlike the main Games, there is equal dominance from Pacific Games associations (PGA's). Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, and Fiji have all ranked first a record 3 times, with Samoa, Nauru, and Tahiti topping the games once.

Concept

Following the success of the main Pacific Games, the Pacific Games council decided to create a smaller version of the games to enable smaller nations and territories to host events and compete against each other. From this came the Pacific Mini Games.

Pacific Games Council

The governing body for the mini games is the Pacific Games Council. Much like the main games, the Games council flag is presented to the host nation of the next mini games at the end of every games. As of 2017, [1] the council has 22 member nations.

Two other nations, Australia and New Zealand, are not members of the council but are invited as observers to the council's general assembly. [1] These nations participated at the mini games in 2017 and made their main games debut in 2015. [1]

Editions

List of Pacific Mini Games

GamesNo.HostGames dates /
Opened by
SportsCompetitorsEventsNationsTop nation
1981 I Flag of the Solomon Islands.svg Honiara 8 – 16 July 1981
Unknown
5+6005115 Flag of France.svg New Caledonia
1985 II Flag of the Cook Islands.svg Rarotonga 31 July – 9 August 1985
Unknown
67005616Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg  Papua New Guinea
1989 III Flag of Tonga.svg Nuku'alofa 22 August – 1 September 1989
King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV
68329316Flag of Samoa.svg  Western Samoa
1993 IV Flag of Vanuatu.svg Port Vila 6 – 16 December 1993
Unknown
66715Flag of Fiji.svg  Fiji
1997 V Flag of American Samoa.svg Pago Pago 11 – 22 August 1997
Unknown
11179814419Flag of Nauru.svg  Nauru
2001 VI Flag of Norfolk Island.svg Kingston 3 – 14 December 2001
Unknown
109718Flag of Fiji.svg  Fiji
2005 VII Flag of Palau.svg Koror 25 July – 4 August 2005
President Thomas Remengesau Jr.
1217020New Caledonia Sports Flag.svg New Caledonia
2009 VIII Flag of the Cook Islands.svg Rarotonga 21 September – 2 October 2009
Queen's Rep Sir Frederick Goodwin
15+135414421Flag of Fiji.svg  Fiji
2013 IX Flag of Wallis and Futuna.svg Mata Utu 2 – 12 September 2013
French President François Hollande
812722Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg  Papua New Guinea
2017 X Flag of Vanuatu.svg Port Vila 5 – 15 December 2017
President Tallis Obed Moses
14~200017324New Caledonia Sports Flag.svg New Caledonia
2022 XI Flag of the Northern Mariana Islands.svg Saipan 17 – 25 June 2022
Governor Ralph Torres
9103414419Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg  Papua New Guinea
2025 XII Flag of Palau.svg Koror 29 June – 9 July 2025
President Surangel Whipps Jr.
12~200023623Flag of French Polynesia.svg  French Polynesia
2029 XIII Flag of the Cook Islands.svg Rarotonga TBA 2029
TBA
12TBATBA24 (expected)TBD

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. [2] [3]

Sports

There are 36 approved sports by the Pacific Games Council updated in 2025. Unlike the main games, the Pacific Mini Games does not have a compulsory sports list. However, 50 percent of the sports selected for a games must be from the compulsory sports list of the PGC. After the 2025 Games in Koror, 28 of the 36 sports have been included at the Mini Games since the inaugural edition in 1981.

Listed are sports already contested at the Pacific Mini Games.

SportDisciplineCode & Pictogram Body YearsStatus
Archery ARC Archery pictogram.svg World Archery 2001, 2017, 2025
Athletics ATH Athletics pictogram.svg World Athletics 1981–present
Badminton BDM Badminton pictogram.svg BWF 2022
Baseball and softball Baseball BBL Baseball pictogram.svg WBSC [s 1] 2005, 2022–present
Softball SBL Softball pictogram.svg 2005, 2025
Basketball 3x3 BK3 3-on-3 basketball pictogram.svg FIBA 2017, 2025
Basketball BKB Basketball pictogram.svg 1997, 2005
Bodybuilding BDB Bodybuilding pictogram.svg WBPF 2001
Boxing BOX Boxing pictogram.svg World Boxing [s 2] 1981, 1989–1997, 2009, 2017
Football FBL Football pictogram.svg FIFA 1981, 1993, 2017
Golf GLF Golf pictogram.svg IGF 1985–2001, 2009, 2017–2022
Judo JUD Judo pictogram.svg IJF 2017, 2025
Karate KTE Karate pictogram.svg WKF 2017
Lawn bowls LBW Lawn bowls pictogram.svg World Bowls 1985, 2001, 2009
Netball [s 3] NTB Netball pictogram.svg World Netball 1981–2001, 2009, 2017
Outrigger canoeing Va'a VAA Vaa pictogram.svg IVF 2005–2013, 2022–present
Kayak KYK Canoeing (slalom) pictogram.svg 2025
Powerlifting PLF Powerlifting pictogram.svg IPF 1997
Rugby Sevens RU7 Rugby Sevens pictogram.svg World Rugby 1997, 2009–2017
Sailing SAL Sailing pictogram.svg World Sailing 1997, 2009–2013
Shooting SHO Shooting pictogram.svg ISSF 2001
Squash SQU Squash pictogram.svg WSF 2001, 2009
Swimming SWM Swimming pictogram.svg World Aquatics 2005, 2025
Table tennis TTE Table tennis pictogram.svg ITTF 2005–2009, 2017, 2025
Taekwondo TKW Taekwondo pictogram.svg World Taekwondo 2013
Tennis TEN Tennis pictogram.svg ITF 1981–2009, 2017–2022
Touch rugby [s 4] TRU Rugby league pictogram.svg FIT 2009
Triathlon TRI Triathlon pictogram.svg World Triathlon 2001–2009, 2022–present
Volleyball Beach VBV Volleyball (beach) pictogram.svg FIVB 2005, 2013–present
Indoor VVO Volleyball (indoor) pictogram.svg 1997, 2013, 2025
Weightlifting WLF Weightlifting pictogram.svg IWF 1989, 1997, 2005–present
Wrestling Freestyle WRF Wrestling Freestyle pictogram.svg UWW 2005, 2025
Greco-Roman WRG Wrestling pictogram.svg 2005, 2025
Beach WRB Beach wrestling pictogram.svg 2025
Rugby Union RUG Rugby union pictogram.svg World Rugby 1985Discontinued
Rugby league Sevens RL7 Rugby league pictogram.svg IRL 2009Discontinued
  1. The World Baseball Softball Confederation, which currently governs both baseball and softball, was created by a 2013 merger of two former governing bodies – the International Baseball Federation and the International Softball Federation. Baseball and softball were governed separately at all Pacific Games before 2013.
  2. AIBA/IBA was the recognised body of boxing until 2023.
  3. Netball is a women's competition only.
  4. Touch rugby is an optional sport, however, all three events (men's, women's and mixed tournaments) must be included if the sport is scheduled on a games programme.

All-time medal table

This table shows all medals won by a Pacific Games association since the inaugural games in 1981 to the most recent games held in 2025.

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 New Caledonia flags merged (2017).svg New Caledonia 255204162621
2Flag of French Polynesia.svg  French Polynesia 223150134507
3Flag of Fiji.svg  Fiji 216208202626
4Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg  Papua New Guinea 204216189609
5Flag of Samoa.svg  Samoa 16094108362
6Flag of Nauru.svg  Nauru 694741157
7Flag of Vanuatu.svg  Vanuatu 456464173
8Flag of the Cook Islands.svg  Cook Islands 425257151
9Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 40192079
10Flag of Tonga.svg  Tonga 364981166
11Flag of American Samoa.svg  American Samoa 33372696
12Flag of the Northern Mariana Islands.svg  Northern Mariana Islands 30333194
13Flag of the Solomon Islands.svg  Solomon Islands 297966174
14Flag of Kiribati.svg  Kiribati 26122058
15Flag of Guam.svg  Guam 23284192
16Flag of Palau.svg  Palau 17182560
17Flag of France.svg  Wallis and Futuna 13293678
18Flag of the Federated States of Micronesia.svg  Micronesia 128828
19Flag of the Marshall Islands.svg  Marshall Islands 107623
20Flag of Norfolk Island.svg  Norfolk Island 7171438
21Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 410418
22Flag of Tuvalu.svg  Tuvalu 331319
23Flag of Niue.svg  Niue 214723
Pacific Logo.svg Independent PGC athletes2103
24Flag of Tokelau.svg  Tokelau 0224
Totals (24 entries)1,5011,4011,3574,259

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "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.
  2. Stadium and China loan on hold Archived 8 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine Cook Islands News Online, 12 September 2007
  3. "Stadium for Mini Games in Cooks gets go-ahead". Radio New Zealand. 11 March 2008. Archived from the original on 1 August 2009.

Sources