Micronesian Games 2024. (file image) Photo: Hilary Hosia
The Micronesia Games, initially set for 2026 in Nauru, have been moved to January 2028.
This was approved at the Micronesian Games Council (MGC) annual general meeting in Nauru on Sunday.
The Games were rescheduled due to delays in the construction of Nauru's first-ever national stadium, the council said in a statement.
Representatives from the contracted construction company confirmed at the meeting that the construction has now commenced, with a guaranteed completion date set for early December 2027.
The Nauru Micronesia Games Association (MGA) submitted a formal proposal to move the Games to 2028, which the council unanimously approved.
It will also be the first time Nauru hosts the Micronesia Games.
Former Pacific weightlifting and Commonwealth Games weightlifting champion Marcus Stephen, who is also Nauru MGA president, told the meeting that having the Games in 2028 will fit into the Nauru's 60th Independence Anniversary celebration plans.
"Let's welcome and challenge it," Stephen told the meeting, adding that, "It will be a great benefit to us all, especially the young generation. Let's embrace it as part of our celebration."
Micronesia Games Council members touring the new stadium site in Nauru. Photo: Nauru Media and TV
Nauru will also host the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) later in 2028, making it a year of high-profile international engagement.
Meanwhile, Sunday's AGM also appointed Nauru and Guam to the Safeguarding Committee and Policy Team, a newly-formed body tasked with ensuring safe and inclusive sporting environments across the region.
The island also proposed changing the cycle of the Micronesia Games to align with the Olympic calendar, beginning in 2028, to enhance strategic planning and elevate the Games' international relevance.
The Micronesian Games are held every four years, but the last Micronesian Games was held in June 2024 because of the Covid-19 crisis in 2022, forcing previous host Marshall Islands to move the event forward to last year.
The proposed amendment to the MGC Charter (Constitution) will be formally reviewed and voted on during the special meeting scheduled for February 2026.
At the same meeting Nauru also proposed that the 2028 Games competition schedule include boxing, cycling, darts, powerlifting and fishing trolling, as a cultural sport.
The current sports in the Games include athletics, basketball (5x5 and 3x3), volleyball (beach and indoor), wrestling, judo, table tennis, tennis, weightlifting, beach volleyball, and the traditional Micronesian sports of all-round fishing and underwater spear-fishing.
Council members and meeting participants also toured the new stadium site to see first-hand the work being done.
