View source for Pacific Mini Games

{{Short description|Sporting event}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox sporting event organization
|name         = Pacific Mini Games
|image        = Pacific Logo.svg
|caption      = 
|abbreviation = PMG
|motto        = 
|formation    = 1981
|recurrence   = 4 years
|membership   = 
|purpose      = 
|headquarters = [[Suva]], [[Fiji]]
|leader_title = President
|leader_name  = Vidhya Lakhan
|website      =
}}

The '''Pacific Mini Games''' are a [[continent]]al [[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 [[Capital city|capitals]] around 4 countries and 5 territories. Only the [[Cook Islands]] and [[Vanuatu]] have hosted twice, with [[Palau]] set to host the event for the second time in 2025. 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]] and [[Nauru]] topping 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 ==
{{Main|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,<ref name=cin-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.<ref name=cin-2017/> These nations participated at the mini games in [[2017 Pacific Mini Games|2017]] and made their main games debut in [[2015 Pacific Games|2015]].<ref name=cin-2017/>

==Editions==
{{location map+|Pacific Ocean|float=center|width=770|caption=Host cities of the Pacific Mini Games|places=
{{Location map~|Pacific Ocean|position=left
 |lat=-9.444589|long=159.972258|label='''[[Honiara|1981]]'''}}
{{Location map~|Pacific Ocean|position=right
 |lat=-21.233333|long=-159.783333|label='''[[Rarotonga|1985, 2009]]'''}}
{{Location map~|Pacific Ocean|position=left
 |lat=-21.133333|long=-175.2|label='''[[Nukuʻalofa|1989]]'''}}
{{Location map~|Pacific Ocean|position=left
 |lat=-17.733333|long=168.316667|label='''[[Port Vila|1993, 2017]]'''}}
{{Location map~|Pacific Ocean|position=right
 |lat=-14.279444|long=-170.700556|label='''[[Pago Pago|1997]]'''}}
{{Location map~|Pacific Ocean|position=right
 |lat=-29.05|long=167.966667|label='''[[Kingston, Norfolk Island|2001]]'''}}
{{Location map~|Pacific Ocean|position=bottom
 |lat=7.34222|long=134.47719|label='''[[Koror|2005, ''2025'']]'''}}
{{Location map~|Pacific Ocean|position=left
 |lat=-13.283333|long=-176.183333|label='''[[Mata Utu|2013]]'''}}
{{Location map~|Pacific Ocean|position=bottom
 |lat=15.183333|long=145.75|label='''[[Saipan|2022]]'''}}
}}

===List of Pacific Mini Games===
{| class="wikitable sortable" width=  align="center"
|+Overview of the Pacific Mini Games
! rowspan=1 style="background:#2874A6; color:white;" | Year
! rowspan=1 style="background:#2874A6; color:white;" | Edition
! rowspan=1 style="background:#2874A6; color:white;" | Host city
! rowspan=1 style="background:#2874A6; color:white;" | Host Association
! rowspan=1 style="background:#2874A6; color:white;" | Opened by
! rowspan=1 style="background:#2874A6; color:white;" | Sports
! rowspan=1 style="background:#2874A6; color:white;" | Events
! rowspan=1 style="background:#2874A6; color:white;" | Teams
! rowspan=1 style="background:#2874A6; color:white;" | Start date
! rowspan=1 style="background:#2874A6; color:white;" | End date
! rowspan=1 style="background:#2874A6; color:white;" | Competitors
! rowspan=1 style="background:#2874A6; color:white;" | Top Association
! rowspan=1 style="background:#2874A6; color:white;" | Ref
|-
| align=center| 1981
| align="center" |{{sort|01|[[1981 South Pacific Mini Games|I]]}}
| align=left| [[Honiara]]
| align=left| {{SOL}}
| ''Unknown''
| align="center" | 5 || align="center" | 51 || align="center" | 15
| align=center| 8 Jul.
| align=center| 16 Jul. || align="center" | 600+
| align=left| {{flag|New Caledonia|1853|name=New{{wbr}} Caledonia}}
| align=center| 
|-
| align=center| 1985
| align="center" |{{sort|02|[[1985 South Pacific Mini Games|II]]}}
| align=left| [[Rarotonga]]
| align=left| {{COK}}
| ''Unknown''
| align="center" | 6 || align="center" | 56 || align="center" | 16
| align=center| 31 Jul.
| align=center| 9 Aug. || align="center" | 700
| align=left| {{PNG}}
| align=center| 
|-
| align=center| 1989
| align="center" |{{sort|03|[[1989 South Pacific Mini Games|III]]}}
| align=left| [[Nukuʻalofa]]
| align=left| {{TGA}}
| [[Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV|King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV]]
| align="center" | 6 || align="center" | 93 || align="center" | 16
| align=center| 22 Aug.
| align=center| 1 Sep. || align="center" | 832
| align=left| {{nowrap|{{flagicon|Samoa}} [[Samoa|Western{{wbr}} Samoa]]}}
| align=center| 
|-
| align=center| 1993
| align="center" |{{sort|04|[[1993 South Pacific Mini Games|IV]]}}
| align=left| [[Port Vila]]
| align=left| {{VAN}}
| ''Unknown''
| align="center" | 6 || align="center" | 67 || align="center" | 15
| align=center| 6 Dec.
| align=center| 16 Dec. || align="center" | 
| align=left| {{FIJ}}
| align=center| 
|-
| align=center| 1997
| align="center" |{{sort|05|[[1997 South Pacific Mini Games|V]]}}
| align=left| [[Pago Pago]]
| align=left| {{ASA}}
| ''Unknown''
| align="center" | 11 || align="center" | 144 || align="center" | 19
| align=center| 11 Aug.
| align=center| 22 Aug. || align="center" | 1798
| align=left| {{NRU}}
| align=center| 
|-
| align=center| 2001
| align="center" |{{sort|06|[[2001 South Pacific Mini Games|VI]]}}
| align=left| [[Kingston, Norfolk Island|Kingston]]
| align=left| {{NFK}}
| ''Unknown''
| align="center" | 10 || align="center" | 97 || align="center" | 18
| align=center| 3 Dec.
| align=center| 14 Dec. || align="center" | 
| align=left| {{FIJ}}
| align=center| 
|-
| align=center| 2005
| align="center" |{{sort|07|[[2005 South Pacific Mini Games|VII]]}}
| align=left| [[Koror]]
| align=left| {{PLW}}
| [[Tommy Remengesau]]
| align="center" | 12 || align="center" | 170 || align="center" | 20
| align=center| 25 Jul.
| align=center| 4 Aug. || align="center" |
| align=left| {{flagicon image|New Caledonia Sports Flag.svg}} [[New Caledonia]]
| align=center| 
|-
| align=center| 2009
| align="center" |{{sort|08|[[2009 Pacific Mini Games|VIII]]}}
| align=left| [[Rarotonga]]
| align=left| {{COK}}
| [[Frederick Tutu Goodwin]]
| align="center" | 15 || align="center" | 144 || align="center" | 21
| align=center| 21 Sep.
| align=center| 2 Oct. || align="center" | 1354+
| align=left| {{FIJ}}
| align=center| 
|-
| align=center| 2013
| align="center" |{{sort|09|[[2013 Pacific Mini Games|IX]]}}
| align=left| [[Mata Utu]]
| align=left| {{flagcountry|WLF|local}}
| [[François Hollande]]
| align="center" | 8 || align="center" | 127 || align="center" | 22
| align=center| 2 Sep.
| align=center| 12 Sep. || align="center" |
| align=left| {{PNG}}
| align=center| 
|-
| align=center| 2017
| align="center" |{{sort|10|[[2017 Pacific Mini Games|X]]}}
| align=left| [[Port Vila]]
| align=left| {{VAN}}
| [[Tallis Obed Moses]]
| align="center" | 14 || align="center" | 173 || align="center" | 24
| align=center| 5 Dec.
| align=center| 15 Dec. || align="center" | 2000
| align=left| {{NCL}}
| align=center| 
|-
| align=center| 2022
| align="center" |{{sort|11|[[2022 Pacific Mini Games|XI]]}}
| align=left| [[Saipan]]
| align=left| {{NMI}}
| [[Ralph Torres]]
| align="center" | 9 || align="center" | 144 || align="center" | 19
| align=center| 17 Jun.
| align=center| 25 Jun. || align="center" | 1034
| align=left| {{PNG}}
| align=center| 
|-
| align=center| 2025
| align="center" |{{sort|12|[[2025 Pacific Mini Games|XII]]}}
| align=left| [[Koror]]
| align=left| {{PLW}}
| '''TBA'''
| align="center" | 12 || align="center" | '''TBC''' || align="center" | '''TBC'''
| align=center| 29 Jun.
| align=center| 9 Jul. || align="center" | '''TBC'''
| align=left| '''TBD'''
| align=center| 
|}

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.<ref>[http://www.cinews.co.ck/local.htm#9 Stadium and China loan on hold] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130208123741/http://www.cinews.co.ck/local.htm#9 |date=8 February 2013 }} ''Cook Islands News Online'', 12 September 2007</ref><ref>{{cite news|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090801174336/http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=38500|archive-date=1 August 2009|url-status=live|url=http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=38500|title=Stadium for Mini Games in Cooks gets go-ahead|publisher=[[Radio New Zealand]]|date=11 March 2008}}</ref>

==Sports==
{{Further|Pacific Games#Sports}}

There are 37 approved sports by the Pacific Games Council updated in 2019. 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 Pacific Games Council.

After the [[2022 Pacific Mini Games|2022 Games]] in [[Saipan]], 29 of the 37 sports have been included at the Mini Games since the inaugural edition in 1981.

''Listed are sports already contested at the Pacific Mini Games''.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! scope="col" style="width:10.8em;" colspan=2| Sport
! scope="col" style="width:8.5em;" rowspan=2| Contested
! scope="col" style="width:23.8em;" rowspan=2| Years
|-style="font-size:95%"
!
!Discipline
|-
|[[Archery at the Pacific Games|Archery]]
|
| 2 times
| 2001, 2017
|-
|[[Athletics at the Pacific Games|Athletics]]
|
| All
| 1981–present
|-
|[[Badminton at the Pacific Games|Badminton]]
|
| Once
| 2022
|-
|[[Baseball at the Pacific Games|Baseball]]
|
| 2 times
| 2005, 2022–present
|-
|align=left rowspan=2|[[Basketball at the Pacific Games|Basketball]]
|[[Basketball at the Pacific Games|Basketball]]
| 2 times
| 1997, 2005
|-
|[[Basketball at the Pacific Games|3x3 Basketball]]
| Once
| 2017
|-
|[[Bodybuilding at the Pacific Games|Bodybuilding]]
|
| Once
| 2001
|-
|[[Boxing at the Pacific Games|Boxing]]
|
| 6 times
| 1981, 1989–1997, 2009, 2017
|-
|[[Football at the Pacific Games|Football]]
|
| 3 times
| 1981, 1993, 2017
|-
|[[Golf at the Pacific Games|Golf]]
|
| 8 times
| 1985–2001, 2009, 2017–present
|-
|[[Judo at the Pacific Games|Judo]]
|
| Once
| 2017
|-
|[[Karate at the Pacific Games|Karate]]
|
| Once
| 2017
|-
|[[Lawn bowls at the Pacific Games|Lawn bowls]]
|
| 3 times
| 1985, 2001, 2009
|-
|[[Netball at the Pacific Games|Netball]]
|
| 8 times
| 1981–2001, 2009, 2017
|-
|[[Outrigger canoeing at the Pacific Games|Outrigger canoeing]]
|
| 4 times
| 2005–2013, 2022–present
|-
|[[Powerlifting at the Pacific Games|Powerlifting]]
|
| Once
| 1997
|-
|[[Rugby sevens at the Pacific Games|Rugby 7s]]
|
| 4 times
| 1997, 2009–2017
|-
|[[Sailing at the Pacific Games|Sailing]]
|
| 3 times
| 1997, 2009−2013
|-
|[[Shooting at the Pacific Games|Shooting]]
|
| Once
| 2001
|-
|[[Softball at the Pacific Games|Softball]]
|
| Once
| 2005
|-
|[[Squash at the Pacific Games|Squash]]
|
| 2 times
| 2001, 2009
|-
|[[Swimming at the Pacific Games|Swimming]]
|
| Once
| 2005
|-
|[[Table tennis at the Pacific Games|Table tennis]]
|
| 3 times
| 2005–09, 2017
|-
|[[Taekwondo at the Pacific Games|Taekwondo]]
|
| Once
| 2013
|-
|[[Tennis at the Pacific Games|Tennis]]
|
| 10 times
| 1981–2009, 2017–present
|-
|[[Touch rugby at the Pacific Games|Touch rugby]]
|
| Once
| 2009
|-
|[[Triathlon at the Pacific Games|Triathlon]]
|
| 4 times
| 2001–2009, 2022–present
|-
|align=left rowspan=2|[[Volleyball at the Pacific Games|Volleyball]]
|[[Volleyball at the Pacific Games|Indoor volleyball]]
| 2 times
| 1997, 2013
|-
|[[Beach volleyball at the Pacific Games|Beach volleyball]]
| 4 times
| 2005, 2013–present
|-
|[[Weightlifting at the Pacific Games|Weightlifting]]
|
| 7 times
| 1989, 1997, 2005–present
|-
|[[Wrestling at the Pacific Games|Wrestling]]
|
| Once
| 2005
|-
|}

===Former sports===
Both disciplines have been replaced by other versions of the sports. Rugby 15s (replaced by [[Rugby sevens|Rugby 7s]]), and Rugby league 7s (replaced by [[Rugby league nines|Rugby league 9s]]).
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! scope="col" style="width:10.8em;"| Sport
! scope="col" style="width:8.5em;"| Contested
! scope="col" style="width:23.8em;"| Years
|-
|[[Rugby union at the Pacific Games|Rugby 15s]]
| Once
| 1985
|-
|[[Rugby league at the Pacific Games|Rugby league 7s]]
| Once
| 2009
|-
|}

==All-time medal table==
This table shows all medals won by a Pacific Games association since the [[Pacific Mini Games#List of Pacific Mini Games|inaugural games]] in 1981 to the [[Pacific Mini Games#List of Pacific Mini Games|most recent games]] held in 2022.

{{Medals table
 | caption        = 
 | host           = 
 | flag_template  = flagcountry
 | event          = 
 | team           =
 | name_NCL=[[File:New_Caledonia_flags_merged_(2017).svg|23px]] [[New Caledonia|New{{wbr}} Caledonia]] 
 | gold_NCL = 248 | silver_NCL = 193 | bronze_NCL = 146
 | gold_FIJ = 189 | silver_FIJ = 178 | bronze_FIJ = 178
 | gold_PNG = 182 | silver_PNG = 187 | bronze_PNG = 163
 | gold_PYF = 151 | silver_PYF = 109 | bronze_PYF = 105
 | gold_SAM = 133 | silver_SAM = 80 | bronze_SAM = 88
 | gold_NRU = 66 | silver_NRU = 23 | bronze_NRU = 30
 | gold_VAN = 42 | silver_VAN = 57 | bronze_VAN = 59
 | gold_COK = 38 | silver_COK = 49 | bronze_COK = 51
 | gold_TGA = 33 | silver_TGA = 42 | bronze_TGA = 75
 | gold_ASA = 27 | silver_ASA = 32 | bronze_ASA = 22
 | gold_SOL = 28 | silver_SOL = 74 | bronze_SOL = 63
 | gold_KIR = 22 | silver_KIR = 11 | bronze_KIR = 17
 | gold_NMI = 20 | silver_NMI = 25 | bronze_NMI = 18
 | gold_GUM = 19 | silver_GUM = 19 | bronze_GUM = 34
 | gold_AUS = 16 | silver_AUS = 3 | bronze_AUS = 5
 | gold_PLW = 12 | silver_PLW = 11 | bronze_PLW = 8
 | gold_WLF = 9 | silver_WLF = 24 | bronze_WLF = 32 | name_WLF = {{WLF|local}}
 | gold_FSM = 9 | silver_FSM = 6 | bronze_FSM = 5
 | gold_NFK = 7 | silver_NFK = 17 | bronze_NFK = 14
 | gold_MHL = 5 | silver_MHL = 6 | bronze_MHL = 0
 | gold_TUV = 3 | silver_TUV = 3 | bronze_TUV = 11
 | gold_NIU = 2 | silver_NIU = 14 | bronze_NIU = 7
 | gold_NZL = 2 | silver_NZL = 7 | bronze_NZL = 0
 | gold_BBB = 2 | silver_BBB = 1 | bronze_BBB = 0 | name_BBB = {{flagicon image|Pacific Logo.svg}} Independent PGC athletes | skip_BBB = yes
 | gold_TKL = 0 | silver_TKL = 2 | bronze_TKL = 1
}}

==See also==
* [[Pacific Games]]

==References==
{{reflist|refs=

<ref name=cin-2017>{{cite news 
 |date=11 May 2017
 |title=Vanuatu committed to 2017 Pacific Mini Games
 |work=Cook Islands News
 |url=http://www.cookislandsnews.com/sport/other-sports/item/58302-vanuatu-committed-to-2017-pacific-mini-games/58302-vanuatu-committed-to-2017-pacific-mini-games
 |access-date=7 October 2017
 |url-status=live
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171007220322/http://www.cookislandsnews.com/sport/other-sports/item/58302-vanuatu-committed-to-2017-pacific-mini-games/58302-vanuatu-committed-to-2017-pacific-mini-games
 |archive-date=7 October 2017
}}</ref>

}}

==Sources==
{{refbegin}}

*{{cite report
 |year= 2007
 |title= Charter – Constitution adopted Apia, Samoa 14 May 2006 – Protocols and Regulations adopted by Executive Board on 17th January 2007 and 20th March 2007 
 |publisher= Pacific Games Council 
 |access-date= 15 May 2015
 |format= PDF 0.3 MB
 |url= http://www.sportingpulse.com/pics/20/02/200259_firstfileFILE.pdf
 |url-status= dead
 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070928015358/http://www.sportingpulse.com/pics/20/02/200259_firstfileFILE.pdf
 |archive-date= 28 September 2007
 |ref={{harvid|Charter|2007}}
}}

{{refend}}

{{Pacific Games}}

[[Category:Pacific Games|*]]
[[Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1981]]