Pacific Mini Games

In order to address one of its key Sustainable Development Goals for the event, the Van2017 LOC has created Em Pawa, a counterpart to the Games’ official mascot Nasi.

Em Pawa will be an advocate for messages of equality and non-discrimination, non-violence, supporting of positive and healthy decisions, encouraging others to challenge gender stereotypes, and promote positive change in the home, workplace, community and country.

With a crowd fit for the Olympics and spirits high, the rainy weather was not enough to dampen the excitement of players and spectators.

Rain did nothing to slow down the matches as Fiji claimed the first Pacific Mini Games victory after defeating Tuvalu with a score of 8-0.

A 3-0 win in favour of the Solomon Islands against Tonga proved that the games will only get better and more exciting from that point onwards.

The meeting is the 5th Pacific Islands Sports Ministers of its kind. 

Sport has been recognized as a cost- effective tool to promote development and peace.

The gathering will review the outcomes of the 4th Pacific Sports Ministers Meeting Outcomes in Port Moresby in 2015.

The half-day meet will also be presented with the outcomes of the recent Kazan Action Plan adopted by the 6th International Conference of Ministers and Senior Officials Responsible for Physical Education and Sport (MINEPS VI) and how it can be implemented in the region.

“The Mini Games standard set here is very very high.”

Waiwai was the chairperson of the Games Organising Committee of the 2015 Pacific Games in Port Moresby, PNG and Chef de Mission for Team PNG at last year’s Rio Olympic Games.

“You can just feel the hype when you get into the airport.

“Athletes going to enjoy their stay here and the people are very helpful and very friendly,” said Waiwai.

Team PNG was also given a rousing welcome at the airport by fellow countrymen and women leaving and working in Vanuatu.

Men's football is the first of 14 sports to kick off in Port Vila.

Fiji are first up against Tuvalu at midday local time followed by Tonga versus Solomon Islands and New Caledonia against the host nation.

Van2017 CEO Clint Flood said a late rejig was made to the draw following Tahiti's decision to boycott the Games.

"The tournament basically follows a format where the gold medal will be won by the total number of points by the team at the end."

In a formal ceremony, Van2017 CEO Clint Flood said that transport is a critical component in the organization of the Games.

“I thank the Government of Vanuatu for supporting the Games; it’s been six years that the people of Vanuatu have been waiting for this Games and now time is very short, as we have to go operational next week.   

Pacific Games Council CEO Clint Flood says schools have been fitted with 1,600 beds, chefs are on standby to cook for up to 1,000 people a day and China has provided 25 buses for transportation.

Flood says it is also symbolic that the Queen's Baton Relay carrying the Queen's message for the Commonwealth Games will pass through the Pacific Mini Games.

The PNG men finished 4th in the team’s event at the Pacific Games in Port Moresby in 2015, and will be looking to go one better at the Mini Games this December.

At the time of the Mini Games, most the elite female tennis players will be in Melbourne and China, trying to qualify for the Australian Open and the Australian Open Junior Championships.

All of these is part of PNG Tennis making headways on a global scale and the PNG female tennis players will not be joining the rest of Team PNG in Vanuatu.

The withdrawal, announced by the director of French Polynesia's youth and sport service Anthony Pheu, follows a disagreement over who should represent Tahiti's boxers in Port Vila in December.

In August, a court order annulled the elections of the officers of the Pacific Games Association of Tahiti.

The President of the Games Council, Vidhya Lakhan, said all entries for the Mini Games need to be submitted under the signature of the President or Secretary General of a member country's Pacific Games Association.

Last week 19 women’s group representatives put pen on the paper to confirm their commitment to the Pacific Mini Games workforce services.

“Without you, our villages will not be clean; we need you to make sure that our athletes feel at home,” said VanCEO Clint Flood, in his remarks to all local contractors.