Pacific Games Council
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| Conseil des Jeux du Pacifique (French) | |
 | |
| Abbreviation | PGC (English), CJP (French) |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1962 |
| Founders | South Pacific Commission |
| Type | Sports governing body |
| Headquarters | Suva, Fiji |
| Membership | 22 active members, 2 associate members, 17 individual National Olympic Committees |
Official language | English, French (reference language), and the host country's language when necessary |
President | Vidhya Lakhan |
Vice Presidents | Marcus Stephen Laurent Cassier Tamzin Wardley |
Chief Executive Officer | Andrew Minogue |
Athletes' Representative | Ryan Pini |
The Pacific Games Council (PGC; French: Conseil des Jeux du Pacifique, CJP) is the sports governing body for the Pacific Games, a multi-sport competition involving nations and territories across the Pacific region.[1] The Council is responsible for managing and coordinating the Games, supporting the growth of sport throughout the Pacific, and promoting regional unity and cultural exchange through athletic competition.[2]
In addition to the main event, the PGC administers the Pacific Mini Games, which are staged every four years between the main Games.[3] It collaborates with national Olympic committees, governmental bodies, and sporting federations to enhance sports development and performance standards within the region.[4]
Structure
[edit]The Council is governed by:
- A General Assembly—the supreme decision‑making body, with one vote per member association.
- An Executive Board including the President and Vice‑Presidents overseeing sport, finance, marketing and athletes.
- Various technical and development committees.
The Council adheres to a constitution (its Charter), with Official languages of English and French.[2]
Member associations
[edit]Membership of the Council includes internationally recognised National Multisport Organisations within countries and territories who are members of the Pacific Community.[5] There are currently 22 members, 15 of which are members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).[6] The Pitcairn Islands are the only Pacific Community member that is not a member of the Pacific Games Council, whereas Norfolk Island was admitted as a member of the Council despite not being a member of the Pacific Community.
In July 2014, the Oceania National Olympic Committees voted to allow Australia and New Zealand to take part in the 2015 Pacific Games. The risk of seeing the two wealthy, populous developed nations dominate the competition had previously prevented their inclusion. They were allowed to send participants only in rugby sevens, sailing, taekwondo and weightlifting — sports where other Pacific countries had proved sufficiently competitive against them in the past.[7] New Zealand was allowed to compete in the 2019 men's football competition with an U-23 team, which won the gold medal.[8] Australia and New Zealand have since continued to compete on an invitational basis.
In 2018, the Council created an "associate membership" category for other territories in Oceania.[9] Potential candidates for membership include Bougainville, Easter Island, Western New Guinea, Hawaii and Christmas Island.[10]
Executive board
[edit]The executive board manages the affairs of the PGC. Its members include the President, three Vice Presidents, and two other members.[11] All members are elected, by secret ballot, by a majority of votes cast, for a four-year term.
| Designation | Name | Country |
|---|---|---|
| President | Vidhya Lakhan |  Fiji |
| Vice Presidents | Marcus Stephen |  Nauru |
| Laurent Cassier |  New Caledonia | |
| Tamzin Wardley |  Papua New Guinea | |
| Chief Executive Officer | Andrew Minogue |  Australia |
| Athletes' Representative | Ryan Pini | Papua New Guinea |
Committees
[edit]| Committee | Designation | Name | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sports | Chair | Marcus Stephen | Nauru |
| Members | Ryan Pini | Papua New Guinea | |
| Roger Wahl |  Guam | ||
| Michel Quintin | New Caledonia | ||
| Milton Bradley |  Norfolk Island | ||
| Yvonne Mullins | Australia | ||
| Marketing | Chair | Laurent Cassier | New Caledonia |
| Members | Damien Beddoes |  Cook Islands | |
| Joseph Rodan Sr. | Fiji | ||
| Tala Pauga |  Samoa | ||
| Allan Kalfabun |  Vanuatu | ||
| Jerry Tan |  Northern Mariana Islands | ||
| Audit and Finance | Chair | Tamzin Wardley | Papua New Guinea |
| Members | Joey Miranda III | Guam | |
| Charles Tauziet |  Tahiti |
Presidents
[edit]| Name | Country/Territory | Term |
|---|---|---|
| Vidhya Lakhan | Fiji | current (as of 2025) |
| Paul Wallwork | Samoa | (elected 1991) |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Pacific Games Council – About
- ^ a b Pacific Games Council Charter
- ^ Pacific Mini Games – History
- ^ Oceania National Olympic Committees – PGC Partner Page
- ^ Charter 2007, p. 4.
- ^ "Pacific Games Council - DIRECTORY 2013" (PDF 0.4 MB). Pacific Games Council. 2013. Archived from the original on 16 May 2013. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
- ^ "Vanuatu committed to 2017 Pacific Mini Games". Cook Islands News. 11 May 2017. Archived from the original on 7 October 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
- ^ "Promising U-23 group heading to Samoa". New Zealand Football. 1 July 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
- ^ "Australia and New Zealand involvement in Pacific Games expected to grow further". insidethegames.biz. 30 October 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
- ^ Butler, Nick (30 October 2012). "West Papua, Hawaii and Christmas Island mooted as future Pacific Mini Games participants". insidethegames.biz. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
- ^ "Pacific Games Council – Directory 2021". Retrieved 1 August 2025.
| Conseil des Jeux du Pacifique (French) | |
| |
| Abbreviation | PGC (English), CJP (French) |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1962 |
| Founders | South Pacific Commission |
| Type | Sports governing body |
| Headquarters | Suva, Fiji |
| Membership | 22 active members, 2 associate members, 17 individual National Olympic Committees |
Official language | English, French (reference language), and the host country's language when necessary |
President | Vidhya Lakhan |
Vice Presidents | Marcus Stephen Laurent Cassier Tamzin Wardley |
Chief Executive Officer | Andrew Minogue |
Athletes' Representative | Ryan Pini |
The Pacific Games Council (PGC; French: Conseil des Jeux du Pacifique, CJP) is the sports governing body for the Pacific Games, a multi-sport competition involving nations and territories across the Pacific region.[1] The Council is responsible for managing and coordinating the Games, supporting the growth of sport throughout the Pacific, and promoting regional unity and cultural exchange through athletic competition.[2]
In addition to the main event, the PGC administers the Pacific Mini Games, which are staged every four years between the main Games.[3] It collaborates with national Olympic committees, governmental bodies, and sporting federations to enhance sports development and performance standards within the region.[4]
Structure
The Council is governed by:
- A General Assembly—the supreme decision‑making body, with one vote per member association.
- An Executive Board including the President and Vice‑Presidents overseeing sport, finance, marketing and athletes.
- Various technical and development committees.
The Council adheres to a constitution (its Charter), with Official languages of English and French.[2]
Member associations
Membership of the Council includes internationally recognised National Multisport Organisations within countries and territories who are members of the Pacific Community.[5] There are currently 22 members, 15 of which are members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).[6] The Pitcairn Islands are the only Pacific Community member that is not a member of the Pacific Games Council, whereas Norfolk Island was admitted as a member of the Council despite not being a member of the Pacific Community.
In July 2014, the Oceania National Olympic Committees voted to allow Australia and New Zealand to take part in the 2015 Pacific Games. The risk of seeing the two wealthy, populous developed nations dominate the competition had previously prevented their inclusion. They were allowed to send participants only in rugby sevens, sailing, taekwondo and weightlifting — sports where other Pacific countries had proved sufficiently competitive against them in the past.[7] New Zealand was allowed to compete in the 2019 men's football competition with an U-23 team, which won the gold medal.[8] Australia and New Zealand have since continued to compete on an invitational basis.
In 2018, the Council created an "associate membership" category for other territories in Oceania.[9] Potential candidates for membership include Bougainville, Easter Island, Western New Guinea, Hawaii and Christmas Island.[10]
.svg/1280px-New_Caledonia_flags_merged_(2017).svg.png){kind=small}
Executive board
The executive board manages the affairs of the PGC. Its members include the President, three Vice Presidents, and two other members.[11] All members are elected, by secret ballot, by a majority of votes cast, for a four-year term.
| Designation | Name | Country |
|---|---|---|
| President | Vidhya Lakhan |  Fiji |
| Vice Presidents | Marcus Stephen |  Nauru |
| Laurent Cassier |  New Caledonia | |
| Tamzin Wardley |  Papua New Guinea | |
| Chief Executive Officer | Andrew Minogue | .svg/1280px-Flag_of_Australia_(converted).svg.png){kind=small} Australia |
| Athletes' Representative | Ryan Pini | Papua New Guinea |
Committees
| Committee | Designation | Name | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sports | Chair | Marcus Stephen | Nauru |
| Members | Ryan Pini | Papua New Guinea | |
| Roger Wahl |  Guam | ||
| Michel Quintin | New Caledonia | ||
| Milton Bradley |  Norfolk Island | ||
| Yvonne Mullins | Australia | ||
| Marketing | Chair | Laurent Cassier | New Caledonia |
| Members | Damien Beddoes |  Cook Islands | |
| Joseph Rodan Sr. | Fiji | ||
| Tala Pauga |  Samoa | ||
| Allan Kalfabun |  Vanuatu | ||
| Jerry Tan |  Northern Mariana Islands | ||
| Audit and Finance | Chair | Tamzin Wardley | Papua New Guinea |
| Members | Joey Miranda III | Guam | |
| Charles Tauziet |  Tahiti |
Presidents
| Name | Country/Territory | Term |
|---|---|---|
| Vidhya Lakhan | Fiji | current (as of 2025) |
| Paul Wallwork | Samoa | (elected 1991) |
See also
References
- ^ Pacific Games Council – About
- ^ a b Pacific Games Council Charter
- ^ Pacific Mini Games – History
- ^ Oceania National Olympic Committees – PGC Partner Page
- ^ Charter 2007, p. 4.
- ^ "Pacific Games Council - DIRECTORY 2013" (PDF 0.4 MB). Pacific Games Council. 2013. Archived from the original on 16 May 2013. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
- ^ "Vanuatu committed to 2017 Pacific Mini Games". Cook Islands News. 11 May 2017. Archived from the original on 7 October 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
- ^ "Promising U-23 group heading to Samoa". New Zealand Football. 1 July 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
- ^ "Australia and New Zealand involvement in Pacific Games expected to grow further". insidethegames.biz. 30 October 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
- ^ Butler, Nick (30 October 2012). "West Papua, Hawaii and Christmas Island mooted as future Pacific Mini Games participants". insidethegames.biz. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
- ^ "Pacific Games Council – Directory 2021". Retrieved 1 August 2025.