Oceania National Olympic Committees President, Guam’s Ricardo Blas is hosting colleagues from across the region this week to discuss delivery of sport funding and programs.
Blas recently told Islands Business that he is concerned about preparation for two key regional sporting events, the Pacific Mini Games in Saipan this July, and the Pacific Games in Solomon Islands next year, saying both hosts are ‘years’ behind in their preparations.
ONOC has stepped in to assist as Blas asserts, “Many of the people that are stepping up to the plate, do not have the background in running an organisation and running the games,” Blas says.
Of this week’s event, Blas says: “This Workshop is different because for the first time, we’re also bringing in Finance Officers, Sport Development Officers, and Sport Education Officers from our NOCs for specialist training to improve implementation of the Olympic Solidarity Programme in the Pacific Islands.”
The Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) comprise 17 Members and six Associate Members. Members attending in person include the NOCs of the Cook Islands, Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam , Nauru, Palau, and Papua New Guinea. Associate Member, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas (CNMI) is attending as host of the SAIPAN 2022 Pacific Mini Games.
