Pacific Mini Games

Pacific Mini Games

Abbreviation	PMG
First event	1981
Occur every	4 years
Headquarters	Suva, Fiji
President	Vidhya Lakhan

The Pacific Mini Games are a continental multi-sport event contested by countries and territories located in Oceania. The event has been held every four years since the inaugural games in Honiara, Solomon Islands in 1981. It was known as the South Pacific Mini Games prior to 2009. It is called the 'Mini' games because it is a scaled-down version of the main Pacific Games and is similarly rotated on a four-year basis in the intervening years between the main Games.

The Mini Games have been hosted by 9 different Pacific Island capitals around 4 countries and 5 territories. The Cook Islands have hosted twice and is scheduled for a third in 2029. Vanuatu and Palau have also hosted two Games. Similarly to the main Games, athletes with a disability are included as full members of their national teams. In each sporting event, gold medals are awarded for first place, silver medals are awarded for second place, and bronze medals are awarded for third place.

Unlike the main Games, there is equal dominance from Pacific Games associations (PGA's). Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, and Fiji have all ranked first a record 3 times, with Samoa, Nauru, and Tahiti topping the games once.

Concept

Following the success of the main Pacific Games, the Pacific Games council decided to create a smaller version of the games to enable smaller nations and territories to host events and compete against each other. From this came the Pacific Mini Games.

Pacific Games Council

The governing body for the mini games is the Pacific Games Council. Much like the main games, the Games council flag is presented to the host nation of the next mini games at the end of every games. As of 2017, the council has 22 member nations.

Two other nations, Australia and New Zealand, are not members of the council but are invited as observers to the council's general assembly. These nations participated at the mini games in 2017 and made their main games debut in 2015.

Editions

List of Pacific Mini Games

Games	No.	Host	Games dates / Opened by	Sports	Competitors	Events	Nations	Top nation
	1981		Template:Flagicon Honiara	8 – 16 July 1981 Unknown	5	+600	51	15	Template:Flagicon New Caledonia
1985		Template:Flagicon Rarotonga	31 July – 9 August 1985 Unknown	6	700	56	16	Template:Flagcountry
1989		Template:Flagicon Nuku'alofa	22 August – 1 September 1989 King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV	6	832	93	16	Template:Flagcountry
1993		Template:Flagicon Port Vila	6 – 16 December 1993 Unknown	6		67	15	Template:Flagcountry
1997		Template:Flagicon Pago Pago	11 – 22 August 1997 Unknown	11	1798	144	19	Template:Flagcountry
2001		Template:Flagicon Kingston	3 – 14 December 2001 Unknown	10		97	18	Template:Flagcountry
2005		Template:Flagicon Koror	25 July – 4 August 2005 President Thomas Remengesau Jr.	12		170	20	New Caledonia
2009		Template:Flagicon Rarotonga	21 September – 2 October 2009 Queen's Rep Sir Frederick Goodwin	15	+1354	144	21	Template:Flagcountry
2013		Template:Flagicon Mata Utu	2 – 12 September 2013 French President François Hollande	8		127	22	Template:Flagcountry
2017		Template:Flagicon Port Vila	5 – 15 December 2017 President Tallis Obed Moses	14	~2000	173	23+1	New Caledonia
2022		Template:Flagicon Saipan	17 – 25 June 2022 Governor Ralph Torres	9	1034	144	19	Template:Flagcountry
2025		Template:Flagicon Koror	29 June – 9 July 2025 President Surangel Whipps Jr.	12	~2000	236	23	Template:Flagcountry
2029		Template:Flagicon Rarotonga	TBA 2029 TBA	12	TBA	TBA	24 (expected)	TBD

As with the main games, the cost of providing the necessary facilities and infrastructure is a concern to the region's smaller nations. In preparation for the 2009 Games in Rarotonga, despite having hosted the games previously, the local government considered diverting funds from a highway project, and secured a loan for US$10 million from the Chinese government to finance the building of a stadium.

Sports

There are 36 approved sports by the Pacific Games Council updated in 2025. Unlike the main games, the Pacific Mini Games does not have a compulsory sports list. However, 50 percent of the sports selected for a games must be from the compulsory sports list of the PGC. After the 2025 Games in Koror, 28 of the 36 sports have been included at the Mini Games since the inaugural edition in 1981.

Listed are sports already contested at the Pacific Mini Games. Template:Sort under

Sport	Discipline	Code & Pictogram		Body	Years	Status
Archery		ARC	File:Archery pictogram.svg	World Archery	2001, 2017, 2025
Athletics		ATH	File:Athletics pictogram.svg	World Athletics	1981–present
Badminton		BDM	File:Badminton pictogram.svg	BWF	2022
Baseball and softball	Baseball	BBL	File:Baseball pictogram.svg	WBSC	2005, 2022–present
	Softball	SBL	File:Softball pictogram.svg		2005, 2025
Basketball	3x3	BK3	File:3-on-3 basketball pictogram.svg	FIBA	2017, 2025
	Basketball	BKB	File:Basketball pictogram.svg		1997, 2005
Bodybuilding		BDB	File:Bodybuilding pictogram.svg	WBPF	2001
Boxing		BOX	File:Boxing pictogram.svg	World Boxing	1981, 1989–1997, 2009, 2017
Football		FBL	File:Football pictogram.svg	FIFA	1981, 1993, 2017
Golf		GLF	File:Golf pictogram.svg	IGF	1985–2001, 2009, 2017–2022
Judo		JUD	File:Judo pictogram.svg	IJF	2017, 2025
Karate		KTE	File:Karate pictogram.svg	WKF	2017
Lawn bowls		LBW	File:Lawn bowls pictogram.svg	World Bowls	1985, 2001, 2009
Netball		NTB	File:Netball pictogram.svg	World Netball	1981–2001, 2009, 2017
Outrigger canoeing	Va'a	VAA	File:Vaa pictogram.svg	IVF	2005–2013, 2022–present
	Kayak	KYK	File:Canoeing (slalom) pictogram.svg		2025
Powerlifting		PLF	File:Powerlifting pictogram.svg	IPF	1997
Rugby	Sevens	RU7	File:Rugby Sevens pictogram.svg	World Rugby	1997, 2009–2017
Sailing		SAL	File:Sailing pictogram.svg	World Sailing	1997, 2009–2013
Shooting		SHO	File:Shooting pictogram.svg	ISSF	2001
Squash		SQU	File:Squash pictogram.svg	WSF	2001, 2009
Swimming		SWM	File:Swimming pictogram.svg	World Aquatics	2005, 2025
Table tennis		TTE	File:Table tennis pictogram.svg	ITTF	2005–2009, 2017, 2025
Taekwondo		TKW	File:Taekwondo pictogram.svg	World Taekwondo	2013
Tennis		TEN	File:Tennis pictogram.svg	ITF	1981–2009, 2017–2022
Touch rugby		TRU	File:Rugby league pictogram.svg	FIT	2009
Triathlon		TRI	File:Triathlon pictogram.svg	World Triathlon	2001–2009, 2022–present
Volleyball	Beach	VBV	File:Volleyball (beach) pictogram.svg	FIVB	2005, 2013–present
	Indoor	VVO	File:Volleyball (indoor) pictogram.svg		1997, 2013, 2025
Weightlifting		WLF	File:Weightlifting pictogram.svg	IWF	1989, 1997, 2005–present
Wrestling	Freestyle	WRF	File:Wrestling Freestyle pictogram.svg	UWW	2005, 2025
	Greco-Roman	WRG	File:Wrestling pictogram.svg		2005, 2025
	Beach	WRB	File:Beach wrestling pictogram.svg		2025
Rugby	Union	RUG	File:Rugby union pictogram.svg	World Rugby	1985	Discontinued
Rugby league	Sevens	RL7	File:Rugby league pictogram.svg	IRL	2009	Discontinued

Participating nations

Only ten teams have attended every Pacific Mini Games: American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia, Norfolk Island, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu. This list includes all 22 current PGAs and the two invitational teams, arranged alphabetically. The three-letter country code is also listed for each PGA. Country name changes are explained by footnotes after the nation's name, and other notes are explained by footnotes linked within the table.

Other entries

• IPA. Athletes from Tahiti competed as Independent Athletes in 2017. No official Tahiti team took part in the 2017 Mini Games following the French Polynesian government's decision to boycott the event. A number of Tahitian athletes competed under the banner of the Pacific Games Council.

Table legend

81		In the table headings, indicates the Games year
•		Participated in the specified Games
H		Host nation for the specified Games
[a]		Additional explanatory comments at the linked footnote
		Nation not a member of the Pacific Games Council during these years
		PGA superseded or preceded by other PGA(s) during these years

PGA	Code	81	85	89	93	97	01	05	09	13	17	22	25	Total
Template:Flagcountry	ASA	•	•	•	•	H	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	12
Template:Flagcountry[a]	AUS										•	•	•	3
Template:Flagcountry	COK	•	H	•	•	•	•	•	H	•	•	•	•	12
Template:Flagcountry	FSM					•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	8
Template:Flagcountry	FIJ	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	12
Template:Flagcountry	PYF	•	•	•	•	•	•		•	•		•	•	10
Template:Flagcountry	GUM	•		•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	11
Template:Flagcountry	KIR	•	•			•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	10
Template:Flagcountry	MHL		•					•		•	•		•	5
Template:Flagcountry	NRU		•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	11
Template:Flagcountry	NCL	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	12
Template:Flagcountry[b]	NZL										•		•	2
Template:Flagcountry	NIU		•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•			9
Template:Flagcountry	NFK	•	•	•	•	•	H	•	•	•	•	•	•	12
Template:Flagcountry	NMI	•		•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	H	•	11
Template:Flagcountry	PLW					•	•	H	•	•	•	•	H	8
Template:Flagcountry	PNG	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	12
Template:Flagcountry	SAM	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	12
Template:Flagcountry	SOL	H	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	12
Template:Flagcountry	TKL								•	•	•		•	4
Template:Flagcountry	TGA	•	•	H	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	12
Template:Flagcountry	TUV							•	•	•	•	•	•	6
Template:Flagcountry	VAN	•	•	•	H	•	•	•	•	•	H	•	•	12
Template:Flagcountry	WLF	•	•	•		•		•	•	H	•	•	•	10
Other entries	Code	81	85	89	93	97	01	05	09	13	17	22	25	Total
Independent PGC Athletes [^]	IPA										^			1

All-time medal table

This table shows all medals won by a Pacific Games association since the inaugural games in 1981 to the most recent games held in 2025.

See also

• Pacific Games

Sources

• Charter – Constitution adopted Apia, Samoa 14 May 2006 – Protocols and Regulations adopted by Executive Board on 17th January 2007 and 20th March 2007 (PDF) (Report). Pacific Games Council. 2007. Archived from the original (PDF 0.3 MB) on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 15 May 2015.