By Duncan Mackay

Guam are among the countries set to benefit from Australia and New Zealand competing in next year's Pacific Games ©Getty ImagesAthletes from some of the smaller countries in Oceania are set to benefit from the opportunity of competing in the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) in 2017, as well as Australia and New Zealand taking part in the Pacific Games in Port Moresby next year, it has been claimed.


Ricardo Blas, President of the Guam National Olympic Committee, praised Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah for his vision in allowing countries from the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) to compete in the AIMAG, which is due to be held in Turkmenistan capital Ashgabat.

The invitation extended by Sheikh Ahmad, President of the Olympic Council of Asia and the Association of National Olympic Committees, to ONOC is seen by many as the first step to them one day being invited to competed in the Asian Games.

All 17 full members of the ONOC plus its seven associates, including Norfolk, Wallis & Futuna, Northern Marianas, New Caledonia and Tahiti, will be eligible to compete in Ashgabat in a Games expected to feature 30 sports and 6,000 athletes.

"We wanted to find an opportunity for their athletes," Blas, a former judoka who represented Guam at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, told the Pacific Daily News. 

"That's a great opportunity for them."

A deal for athletes from Oceania to compete in the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Turkmenistan was signed a special ceremony attended by Olympic Council of Asian President Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah ©Ashgabat 2017A deal for athletes from Oceania to compete in the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Turkmenistan was signed a special ceremony attended by Olympic Council of Asian President Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah ©Ashgabat 2017

Blas also welcomed the decision to allow Australian and New Zealand athletes to compete in a limited number of events at the 2015 Pacific Games, which is due to take place in Papua New Guinea's capital from July 4 until 18.

As well as ncreasing the prestige of the event, it also means that for the first time the International Olympic Committee are recognising it as a Continental Games and it will offer the opportunity to qualify for Rio 2016 in some sports. 

"It [the Pacific Games] has evolved," said Blas.

"It has gotten stronger."

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November 2014: Ashgabat's Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games may include 30 sports and 6,000 athletes
September 2014: Oceania countries could compete in Asian Games, admits Sheikh Ahmad
July 2014: Australia and New Zealand to take part in 2015 Pacific Games