By: Eoghan Olkeriil Ngirudelsang
KOROR, Palau — Preparations are nearing completion as Palau gets ready to host the 2025 Pacific Mini Games (PMG), scheduled from June 29 to July 9.
A total of 24 Pacific nations and territories, including Australia and New Zealand, will compete in the event. More than 1,400 athletes, including over 200 from Palau, will participate, along with more than 300 coaches and sports officials. Dignitaries and representatives from regional and international sports organizations are also expected to attend.
The Pacific Mini Games, a multi-sport event held every four years, features various competitions across different disciplines. The 2025 edition in Palau will include:
- Aquathlon (swimming and running) – Palau Pacific Resort
Archery – Melekeok Baseball Field
Athletics – National Oval/National Track & Field
Baseball (men’s) – Nippon Stadium (Asahi Stadium)
Softball (women’s fast-pitch) – Meyuns Softball Field
Basketball – Palau High School’s Spiders’ Gym
Judo – Meyuns Multipurpose Gymnasium
Weightlifting – Meyuns Multipurpose Gymnasium
Swimming – National Swimming Pool
Table Tennis – Ngarachamayong Cultural Center
Wrestling – Ngarachamayong Cultural Center
Triathlon (swimming, cycling, and running) – Imekang to Ngiwal State
Beach Volleyball – Ngermalk Park/Long Island Park
Indoor Volleyball – National Gymnasium
“There are 12 sports disciplines but 14 events,” said Palau National Olympic Committee Secretary-General Baklai Temengil in a recent radio interview. She noted that the games will feature over 300 sporting events.
Temengil also announced that the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has designated the 3×3 basketball tournament at the Pacific Mini Games as a qualifying event for an international youth basketball competition. The champions will earn a spot in the global tournament. FIBA will also provide two qualifying courts and officials to oversee the games.
Additionally, the weightlifting competitions at the Pacific Mini Games will serve as qualifying events for the Commonwealth Games and the Oceania World Championship.
Per PMG regulations, participating athletes must hold passports from the country they represent and provide proof of at least five years of residency. As a result, Palauan athletes who are not citizens and do not hold Palauan passports will be ineligible to compete.
Athletes will be housed at multiple locations, including GBH Elementary School, Koror Elementary School, Lower Maris Stella, Palau Community College (PCC), Mindszenty High School, and Palau High School. Seventh-day Adventist Elementary School may also be used as accommodations. Meals will be provided at the PCC cafeteria, where Palauan and visiting athletes will dine together.
Palau’s hosting of the 2025 Pacific Mini Games marks a significant milestone in the country’s sporting history, welcoming athletes from across the Pacific to compete on its shores.