By: Summer Kennard
Koror, Palau — “There is still so much to prepare, and through careful planning we concluded that the Belau Games will move to next year,” Secretary General of the Palau National Olympic Committee (PNOC) Baklai Temengil said Friday, confirming the postponement of the 15th Belau Games to 2026.
Temengil made the announcement on Palau Wave Radio alongside Belau Games Director Alonz Moses and Airai State Governor Norman Ngiratecheboet.
The decision comes after weeks of consultations with the PNOC board, the Governors’ Association, and national sports federations. The games had been scheduled for Sept. 26 to Oct. 5 this year, coinciding with the school intersession break. Organizers said limited preparation time and overlapping national events made postponement the most practical option.
Governor Ngiratecheboet, representing the Governors’ Association, acknowledged the difficulty of the decision. “With all the major events happening soon, it was a hard decision that the governors had to take to postpone the games,” he said.
Despite the delay, Moses encouraged athletes and communities to maintain their training. “Let’s continue training and developing our sports for next year,” he said, noting the extra preparation time will benefit athletes ahead of the Belau Games, the Micronesian Games, and the 2027 Pacific Mini Games in Tahiti.
Temengil added that sports federations will remain active, hosting competitions during national celebrations such as Independence Day to promote training and recruitment. “Training does not stop,” she said.
The Belau Games will include athletics, archery, badminton, baseball, 5×5 and 3×3 basketball, canoeing, judo, sailing, table tennis, tennis, indoor and outdoor volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling, and traditional sports such as spear fishing, micro all-around, and triathlon.
PNOC officials encouraged community members to use available sports facilities and contact the organization to get involved.
