Nauru Athletes Look for Winning Edge at Micronesia Games with New Local Stadium

Nauru athletes are hoping the performance edge that comes with a new sports stadium built on home ground will set them up for success in the 2026 Micronesian Games.

The sports-mad Pacific nation will host the games for the first time ever next year and plans to put on a big show, for its neighbours and the world.

Construction will soon get underway on the track and field venue, following earthworks at the site of the new stadium.

The games venue will also include a competition grade weightlifting arena in an exciting development for a nation with such a proud international record in the sport.

Despite its status as one of the world’s smallest nations, Nauru weightlifters have long proven themselves at the highest levels on the international stage, earning three Commonwealth Games gold medals.

The trio of gold medallists - Reanna Solomon, Marcus Stephen and Yukio Peter –  qualified for legendary status in Nauru, putting all three in the nation’s pantheon of sporting greats.

Ten individual events will be included in the 2026 games, and event organisers are edging closer towards determining the final schedule.

Around 1000 athletes from the Micronesia region are expected in Nauru when the games get underway next July for an event which will showcase not only the nation’s notoriously competitive athletes but its new stadium.

The quadrennial games will also showcase Nauru’s economic diversification and climate resilience initiatives on the world stage, potentially opening up more opportunities for international investment.

Nauru earned the right to host the 2027 games thanks to a unanimous Micronesian Games Council (MGC), and is looking to host one of the best games ever seen.

The new stadium hosting the 2026 games is being built as part of an economic partnership between Nauru and China.

The stadium, together with new training fields, athlete housing, and improved transport, will help build a lasting legacy for Nauru, and is part of the government’s plans for Nauru to become a Pacific sports hub that will regularly host athletic and other sporting events.

The Micronesian Games also play an important role in promoting regional unity and highlighting the challenges and opportunities Nauru shares with its Pacific neighbours.