The Melanesian Sub-Regional Athletes’ Forum successfully concluded on Friday 28 April, 2023, with athlete representatives making a commitment to work for the interests of the athletes in their respective countries.
The forum was the first of its kind for the sub-region, with four member countries of the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) from the Melanesian sub-region in attendance.
Athletes’ Commission (AC) representatives from Fiji, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu were part of the forum, with Tuvalu also present by invitation, at the Tanoa International Hotel in Nadi, Fiji.
ONOC Secretary General (SG), Ricardo Blas, reminded the athlete representatives that they had important roles to play in representing athletes in their countries.
“As athlete representatives, you all have to understand that you represent the voices of the athletes in your country.”
SG Blas added that athletes should remain front and centre in everything that ACs and NOCs (National Olympic Committees) do.
“When you look at all the messages coming from the IOC, President Thomas Bach makes it clear that the core of the Olympic Movement is the athletes,” he said.
The participants of the Melanesian Sub-Regional Athletes’ Forum made a commitment to comply with the guidelines stipulated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for their individual ACs at the conclusion of the three-day forum.
As outcomes from the forum, athlete representatives were able to:
- Review current Athletes’ Commission functions.
- Design action plans for ACs to utilise the opportunities available to them.
PNG Athletes’ Commission Deputy Chair, Milton Kisapai, said that with the initiation of the Melanesian Sub-Regional Athletes’ Forum, ACs in the sub-region would be able to take advantage of assistance that will be provided and tailored towards each of the NOC ACs in the Melanesian sub-region.
“What I found more beneficial was that we get to also learn the challenges of other NOC ACs and also offer help from our experience, because our PNG AC over the years has been one of the leaders in the region.”
Vanuatu Athletes’ Commission Chair, Ajah Pritchard-Lolo, said that the sub-regional forum was a good opportunity for her AC to better serve athletes in Vanuatu.
“Our AC has been pretty inactive over the years, and we are pretty much starting from zero.
“My fellow AC members and I are now learning things as we go to be able to represent our athletes properly,” she said.
A total of eight AC representatives from five NOCs attended the forum—three males and five females—from eight different sports.
The Melanesian Sub-Regional Athletes’ Forum was the second of three sub-regional forums to be held in Oceania following the Micronesian Sub-Regional Athletes’ Forum, which was held in Guam from March 12 to 17, 2023.
Planning is now underway for the Polynesian Sub-Regional Athletes’ Forum to be held in June, with a venue yet to be decided.
Esther Yates | Solomon Islands
Alesi Moloti | Tuvalu
Ajah Pritchard-Lolo | Vanuatu
Lua Rikis | Papua New Guinea
Matelita Buadromo | Fiji