The Pacific Mini Games is a condensed version of the Pacific Games which will be held in New Caledonia this summer. The CNMI has hosted Oceania basketball and athletics competition but never the Pacific Games or Mini Games.
If the bid is approved by the Pacific Games Council, it would result in the largest sporting event ever held in the CNMI, surpassing the Micronesian Games in 2006 and 1990 and the Micronesian Olympics in 1969. Up to 2000 athletes from all over Oceania are expected to attend the Mini Games, participating in up to 15 sports as determined by the host country.
For the bid to be successful, plans would be needed to upgrade facilities such as the Ada Gym, swimming pool and the track and field grandstand. White said the event would inject millions of dollars into the CNMI economy.
A pre-bid conference committee consisting of government and local sports officials voted unanimously to submit a bid for the 2017 Pacific Mini Games.
The committee arranging the paperwork for the bid is on a strict time schedule as it is due to be presented next month during the Pacific Games Council meeting.
On the other hand, the general meeting for the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) will run from March 23-27th in Noumea.
The executive board is composed of, President Vidhya Lakhan, Vice President James Tobin, Secretary General David Boyd, and Treasurer John Tierney.
Members of the Pacific Games Associations are: American Samoa, Cook Islands, Federated States of the Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Norfolk Islands, Northern Marianas Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
The organizing and host venue for the 2011 Pacific Games will be Noumea, New Caledonia. WALLIS & FUTUNA will be hosting the 2013 Pacific Mini Games. The Pacific Games in 2015 will be hosted by Papua New Guinea. And the 2017 Pacific Mini Games may possibly be hosted by the Northern Marianas Islands.
