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PALAU
WORTHY HOST - MINI SOUTH PACIFIC GAMES 2005 |
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By Tuifa’asisina Peter Rees |
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Take a bow Palau. While the
tiny Micronesian nation is currently under the media spotlight as the
location for the popular American television series 'Survivor', the
Pacific community is unanimous in its praise for the tiny Micronesian
nation which hosted the highly successful VII South Pacific Mini Games
from 25 July - 4 August 2005.
Like any logistical challenge of this magnitude, there were pitfalls
such as the rainy weather which wreaked havoc throughout the ten days
of competition. And there were some late withdrawals such as Tahiti
which threatened to derail preparations. But the local organising
committee led by Chairman Dr Patrick Tellei met the challenge and came
through with flying colours.
South Pacific Games Committee chairman Vidhya Lakhan encompassed the
positive feeling amongst the 1,400 athletes and scores of officials who
attended the games. In the closing ceremony he thanked the people of
Palau, organising committee and over 1,500 volunteers for the way it
handled the task of hosting the games.
"Thank you Palau for delivering these games to the people from other
Pacific countries. It shows that smaller nations can achieve their
goals when we come together in sport," he said.
It was a fitting tribute to an event inspired at the opening ceremony
when Palau’s first Olympian, Christopher Silas Adolf, was given the
honour of lighting the flame to officially open the games.
The seventh Mini Games will be remembered for a lot of things. There
were the usual moments of elation and disappointment as the Pacific's
best athletes put their talents to the test, and the colourful fanfare
and themes of peace and brotherhood displayed during the opening and
closing ceremonies.
But the games will also be remembered for its organisation. The media
attending the games were for the first time treated to a Mini Games
where results and updates were available almost instantly. The 2005
games demonstrated the advances in information technology available
today which serves to enhance the games experience unlike any previous
Mini Games held before.
The list of twelve sports on the official programme suited some
countries more than others. |
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The athletes and officials from host nation Palau enter the
stadium at the opening ceremony of the VII South Pacific Mini
Games.
(Photo: Courtesy Palau Mini Games Organizing Committee /
SportingPulse)
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South Pacific Games chairman, Vidhya Lakhan, makes a speech
congratulating and praising Palau for being a worthy host.
(Photo: Courtesy Palau Mini Games Organizing Committee /
SportingPulse)
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Samoa to host the SPG 2007 Games; lighting of flame; PNG
champion female weightlifter Dika Toua after winning three gold
medals.
(Photo: Courtesy Palau Mini Games Organizing Committee /
SportingPulse) |
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New Caledonia won the medal count easily, bagging an incredible 112
medals. In all, the resource rich French territory finished with 56
gold, while striking silver 29 times and racking up another 27
bronze medals. New Caledonia also sent the biggest delegation of all
the 19 nations taking part. The majority of their medals came in
swimming where Esther Meallet emerged the games' most successful
individual winning an incredible five gold and eight silver medals
to her name.
Fiji was second on the medal tally with 23 gold, 21 silver, and 15
bronze.
Third placed Nauru was always going to dominate their marquee sport,
weightlifting and according to script, won all their eighteen gold
medals in this sport.
Papua New Guinea finished fourth with 16 gold, 11 silver, and eight
bronze. Female sprinter Mai Koime was the games 'queen of the track'
with her impressive four gold medal haul in athletics.
The much smaller team from Samoa managed the same amount of gold
medals with PNG (16) and complimented that respectable total with
eight silver, and two bronze medals. If success was measured per
head, Samoa would be the most successful country considering almost
every athlete in their team won a medal.
The hosts were not to be outdone. Palau finished within the top ten
with nine gold medals, three silver, and seven bronze.
Not winning a gold medal did not mean other countries did not
celebrate. Tuvalu did not win a gold medal, but created history
anyway by breaking its drought winning its first ever medal, ending
up with two in weightlifting.
The Cook Islands will host the eighth South Pacific Mini Games in
2009. It will be known as the just the 'Pacific' Mini Games after
the SPG Council ratified a proposal to amend the name of the event.
It was reasoned that the terminology 'South Pacific' discriminated
against those nations taking part originating from other parts of
the Pacific.
VII SOUTH PACIFIC MINI 2005 - GAMES FINAL TALLY
# COUNTRY MEDAL TOTALS:
1 New Caledonia: Gold = 56; Silver = 29; Bronze = 27; Total = 112
2 Fiji: Gold = 23; Silver = 21; Bronze = 15; Total = 59
3 Nauru: Gold = 18; Silver = 0; Braonze = 0; Total = 18
4 Papua New Guinea: Gold = 16; Silver = 11; Silver = 8; Total = 35
5 Samoa: Gold = 16; Silver = 8; Bronze = 2; Total = 26
6 Palau: Gold = 9; Silver = 3; Bronze = 7; Total = 19
7 Guam: Gold = 6; Silver = 9; Bronze = 14; Total = 29
8 Cook Islands: Gold = 5; Silver = 9; Bronze = 7; Total = 21
9 FSM: Gold = 5; Silver = 1; Bronze = 5; Total = 11
10 Tonga: Gold - 5; Silver = 1; Bronze = 3; Total = 9
11 Northe Marianas: Gold = 4; Silver = 12; Bronze = 7; Total = 23
12 Solomon Islands: Gold = 2; Silver = 6; Bronze = 3; Total = 11
13 Vanuatu: Gold = 2; Silver = 3; Bronze = 1; Total = 6
14 Wallis & Futuna: Gold = 2; Silver = 1; Bronze = 1; Total = 4
15 Marshall Is: Gold = 1; Silver = 3; Bronze = 0; Total = 4
16 Niue: Gold = 0; Silver = 5; Bronze = 0; Total = 5
17 Norfolk Island: Gold = 0; Silver = 1; Bronze = 1; Total = 2
18 Tuvalu: Gold = 0; Silver = 0; Bronze = 2; Total = 2
19 American Samoa: Gold = 0; Silver = 0; Bronze = 1; Total = 1
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Copyright Event Polynesia Ltd. 2005
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