The Pacific Games Council awarded Palau the Pacific Mini Games today ©Palau National Olympic Committee

Palau have been awarded the 2025 Pacific Mini Games, it was announced here today.

It will be the second time Palau has held the event, with its largest city Koror hosting in 2005.

The decision to award the Games to Palau comes after the Pacific Games Council (PGC) were forced to defer the bid process.

American Samoa and Niue both lodged bids in the initial process, but were deemed to have failed to meet requirements last year.

Both bids lacked the Government guarantee which is required to host, with the PGC saying the financial underwriting of the Games is essential.

American Samoa had featured in the second bid process, but were beaten by Palau.

Palau's bid had been recommended by the PGC with American Samoa's bid again deemed to be non compliant.

Palau secured 16 of the 21 votes cast.

The multi-sport event is a scaled down version of the Pacific Games.

The ongoing Samoa 2019 Pacific Games here have featured 26 sports, compared to the last edition of the Mini Games which had 14.

Vanuatu staged the last edition of the Pacific Mini Games back in December 2017.

The next edition is due to take place in Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands in 2021.

The PGC also named their first life member with New Caledonia's Roger Kaddour receiving the honour.

Kaddour was one of the three drafters of the original PGC charter in the early 1960s.

The Pacific Games Council meeting was held on the rest day of the Samoa 2019 Pacific Games ©Pacific Games Council
The Pacific Games Council meeting was held on the rest day of the Samoa 2019 Pacific Games ©Pacific Games Council

He also served as the President of the PGC for three terms, before returning to the role on two further occasions.

Kaddour led the Organising Committees of the 1966 and 1987 Pacific Games, two of the three times New Caledonia has hosted.

The 91-year-old was present at the meeting and received a plaque from current PGC President Vidhya Lakhan.

Approval was granted for the creation of life membership positions at last year's General Assembly.

The category will recognise significant service by an individual.

A maximum of three life memberships will be allowed at any one time.

Both associate and life memberships will be proposed by the PGC Executive Committee, and require the approval of the General Assembly.

The PGC meeting was held today on the rest day of Samoa 2019.