Record 38 teams for athletics in Mini Games

A record 38 men’s and women’s teams for athletics have confirmed their participation in the 2005 South Pacific Mini Games.

According to the Palau Organizing Committee for the Mini Games, 19 nations, including the CNMI, will be sending both a men’s and women’s team for the quadrennial event.

The 19 countries that will be sending its best and brightest in track and field are New Caledonia, New Guinea, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Fiji, American Samoa, Niue, Tonga, Vanuatu, Kiribati, Norfolk Islands, Samoa, Wallis & Fatuna, Solomon Islands, Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, Marshall Islands, and host Republic of Palau.

Following athletics in the depth chart is lawn tennis with a total of 29 teams—15 men’s and 14 women’s teams.

Outside of Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, PNG, Cook Islands, FSM, Fiji, Nauru, Palau, A. Samoa, Tonga, Kiribati, Samoa, CNMI, Guam, and Marshall Islands will all be sending both a men’s and women’s delegation.

The Mini Games also attracted 13 men’s and 12 women’s teams for beach volleyball. Both male and female spikers from New Caledonia, PNG, Fiji, Palau, A. Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Guam, and CNMI will see action, while Wallis & Fatuna will be fielding only a men’s team.

A total of 23 teams will dispute the men’s and women’s gold medals in basketball. The 11 nations sending both cagers and cagebelles to the spheroid competition are New Caledonia, PNG, FSM, Fiji, Nauru, Palau, A. Samoa, Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Guam. Marshall Islands will be fielding only a men’s team for basketball in the Mini Games.

Nauru leads 21 men’s and women’s teams competing in weightlifting. The SPG and Mini Games weightlifting powerhouse will be sending both a men’s and women’s team. The same is true for PNG, Palau, Cook Islands, FSM, Fiji, Niue, Tonga, Kiribati, Samoa, and Solomon Islands. Sending only a men’s team is Marshall Islands.

The Mini Games drew 20 teams for table tennis—12 men’s and 8 women’s teams. New Caledonia, Fiji, Palau, Tonga, Vanuatu, Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Guam will all be sending men’s and women’s teams. Cook Islands, CNMI, and Marshall Islands have only signed up for the former.

Outrigger Canoe has 10 men’s and eight women’s team paddling to victory in Palau. Participating in both men’s and women’s races are New Caledonia, PNG, Cook Islands, Palau, Fiji, Samoa, CNMI, and Guam. Tonga and Niue will be sending men’s teams.

Triathlon has 17 confirmed teams, nine in the men’s and eight in the women’s fields. New Caledonia, Cook Islands, Palau, Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, CNMI, and Guam will have a full complement of multi-sport athletes, while Marshall Islands will be sending just their men’s team.

Eight men’s and the same number of women’s teams will battle for pool supremacy in swimming in Palau. The nations hoping to salvage medals in the water sport are New Caledonia, PNG, Fiji, Palau, A. Samoa, Samoa, the CNMI, and Guam.

Fifteen teams—eight men’s and seven women’s teams— will dispute the gold in fastpitch softball. Excluding Marshall Islands, which will only be sending a men’s team, PNG, FSM, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, CNMI, and Guam will have both a men’s and women’s team in Palau.

Baseball and wrestling are tied with the fewest nations participating in the Mini Games with seven men’s teams each. Sending baseball teams to Palau are New Caledonia, FSM, Palau, Solomon Islands, Samoa, CNMI, and Guam.

Competitors in wrestling, meanwhile, will come from FSM, Palau, Kiribati, Samoa, CNMI, Guam, and Marshall Islands.