KOROR, Palau – The Palau National Olympic Committee (PNOC) and the Ministry of Education (MOE) launched the 2024 Belau Youth Games Festival this week, with 430 students participating in 10 different sports.
The program, funded by a Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) grant, aims to promote character development and social skills among youth through sports participation.
MOE handled student registration, which took place from April to June 2024. Due to the program’s popularity, registration closed after reaching 430 participants. However, PNOC is still accepting inquiries from interested students, with staff verifying availability with coaches in sports that haven’t reached capacity. Some sports, Stephanie Ngirchoimei, PNOC Sports Coordinator, noted during a radio interview, already have high numbers, with some exceeding 90 participants.
The festival is open to students aged 6 to 18 and features a variety of sports, including tennis, table tennis, weightlifting, swimming, volleyball, basketball, canoeing, archery, and athletics.
The event began with an opening ceremony and sports orientation last Friday. It will take a break from July 9th to 11th due to Constitution Day and the MOE Education Conference, resuming on the 12th and concluding with an awards ceremony and closing event on July 13th.
This article is supported by the Palau Media Council’s Summer of Health & Wellness initiative for locally-funded NCD prevention and health promotion programs. (By: L.N. Reklai)