Pacific Games Council president Vidya Lakhan has hinted the likelihood of the 2021 Pacific Mini Games to be delayed.
“We had a meeting of the executive board members and a unanimous decision to defer the games was reached,” Lakhan said.
“In that regard, we have written to the Northern Mariana Islands Sports Association and the government there, offering a suggestion to move the games further to the last month of 2021.”
Lakhan said the contributing factor had to do with a competitive Pacific Mini Games.
“This will be about five months after the Tokyo Olympic Games. We believe this deferment will not only provide Northern Mariana Islands ample time for their preparations, but also allow countries participating at the Tokyo Olympics more time to prepare for the Pacific Mini Games, ensuring that there is a competitive game.”
The Namosau, Ba native revealed that the exact dates of the 2021 Pacific Mini Games will be relayed formally, once Northern Mariana Islands respond to the suggestions forwarded by the council.
“Once we hear from the Northern Mariana Islands, we will issue a formal statement, hopefully with the dates.”
The 2021 Pacific Mini Games will most likely be held in December because of the Summer Olympics and Paralympics, now rescheduled to July 2021, in Tokyo, Japan.
The 2021 Pacific Mini Games was scheduled to be held in June. It will be held in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands and will be the 11th edition of the Pacific Mini Games.
It will be the first to be hosted by the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands. It is expected to be participated by 24 nations including the associate members, Australia and New Zealand.
The six confirmed sports that will be competed for at the 2021 Pacific Mini Games are athletics, badminton, baseball, beach volleyball, golf and triathlon, although talks have been ongoing to include weightlifting and tennis.
The Pacific Games Council’s general assembly meeting in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea on July 4, 2014, awarded the rights to the Northern Mariana Islands to host the games and the decision was united since the CNMI were the only bidder after the deadline.
Meanwhile, the 2023 Pacific Games will be held in the Solomon Islands, 2025 Pacific Mini Games in Palau whilst bidding for the 2027 Pacific Games have been called for to determine the ideal host.
In a new development, it is envisaged that the hosts for the 2027 Pacific Games will be confirmed in 2021 as clarified by Lakhan; and not at the Pacific Games Council’s general assembly in Saipan, scheduled to take place in September this year, as earlier highlighted by Lakhan, because of the novel coronavirus outbreak.
There are six countries bidding for it and Fiji is one of them.
