Overview:
Ten North Pacific National Olympic Committees have gathered in Palau for a five-day workshop to strengthen athlete development and prepare for major international competitions, including the 2027 Pacific Games, the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and Brisbane 2032. The program aims to turn regional planning into funded national action plans to help Pacific athletes compete on the world stage.
Ten North Pacific National Olympic Committees, together with regional and international sporting bodies, convene in Palau this week to plan the region’s high-performance pathway toward the Pacific Games Tahiti 2027, LA 2028 and Brisbane 2032.
PALAU, 12 October 2026: Ten National Olympic Committees (NOCs) from across the North Pacific have gathered in Palau today for the second North Pacific High Performance Workshop, a five-day programme running from 12 to 16 October 2026 under the PacificAus Sports Brisbane 2032 Games Pathways Program.
The workshop builds on the inaugural Strategic Review and High Performance Enhancement Workshop held in Palau in March 2026. Having developed the Framework earlier this year, the focus now turns to implementation, including the formal endorsement and public launch of the Framework, with each delegation leaving with a costed, resourced national action plan.
Over the five days, delegates will review Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games performance and benchmark athlete readiness against Commonwealth and Olympic standards. They will also prepare for the Pacific Games Tahiti 2027, the Naoero 2028 Micronesian Games and look forward to LA 2028 Olympic Games qualification pathways and Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, with cultural identity embedded throughout the programme.
NOCs attending:
Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Kiribati, Palau, the Marshall Islands, Naoero, the Northern Mariana Islands, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.
The workshop programme also features contributions from the Australian Olympic Committee. The International Olympic Committee, Oceania Sport, Oceania Athletics, Oceania Weightlifting Federation, Oceania Zonal Volleyball Association, the Pacific Games Council, and the Oceania Paralympic Committee are also represented, reflecting the breadth of stakeholders invested in the region’s high-performance future
“High performance planning is not a one-off exercise. It is a discipline that Pacific nations must build together, region by region and sport by sport,” said Baklai Temengil, Secretary General of the Palau National Olympic Committee and President of the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC).
“This workshop matters because it ensures the investment being made in key programs is matched by strong national plans and shared accountability across every stakeholder, from our National Olympic Committees to government and international partners.”
The delegates from across the Northern Pacific were welcomed to the workshop by Brett Pelttari, Chargé d’Affaires, Australian Embassy in Palau
“Australia is a proud supporter of Pacific sport, and this workshop builds directly on the Australian Government’s recent $15.6 million investment in Pacific athletes on the road to Brisbane 2032,” he said.
“As Prime Minister Albanese said when announcing that investment, Australia looks forward to welcoming the best of the best sporting talent from the Pacific and supporting them to go for gold. Brisbane 2032 is shaping as a true home Games for the whole of Oceania, and Australia is committed to walking that path together with our Pacific neighbours.”
“The Australian Olympic Committee is proud to stand alongside our Pacific neighbours as they build the plans, people and systems that will carry their athletes to the world stage,” said Ian Chesterman, President of the Australian Olympic Committee.
“Brisbane 2032 is an opportunity for the whole Oceania Olympic family. By investing alongside the Australian Government in planning, people and partnerships now, we can ensure Pacific athletes arrive at those Games prepared, supported and ready to compete with the best in the world.”