Palau’s National Olympic Committee, during a dinner in Palau last Sunday, praised Marshall Islands NOC President Tony Muller for a well-run Micronesian Games in 2024.
During the Games Dinner attended by all 23 countries and territories competing in the Pacific Mini-Games in Palau for the past two weeks, NOC President and Minister of Natural Resources and Commerce Tony Muller was recognized by the Palau National Olympic Committee for his stellar leadership and the successful hosting of the Micronesian Games 2024, according to a social media post by the Marshall Islands NOC.
President Muller also extended his congratulations to Dr. Patrick Tellei, chairman of the 2025 Pacific Mini-Games Organizing Committee, for a job well done hosting this year’s Mini-Games in Palau.
The Mini-Games wrapped up Wednesday this week.
In related news from the Pacific Mini-Games:
The big story on medals at the Pacific Mini-Games in Palau was Tahiti’s dominance. Tahitian athletes won so many medals no other country came near them.
In fact, the 53 golds Tahiti had won through Tuesday, the day before the Games ended Wednesday, was more than the total medals won by 20 of the 23 countries and territories participating.
For the record, Tahiti had 103 medals. The next highest was Fiji with 61, and Samoa with 59.
The RMI came in with 11 medals for the Games through Tuesday. Its five gold medals ranked it number eight of 23 competing teams. Six of the 11 RMI medals were won by the wrestling team.
Here is the list of medals for RMI athletes provided by Marshall Islands Athletics Federation Secretary General Bobby Zed.
Gold
- Wrestling Freestyle – Male 65kg: Kiabin Kennedy
- Wrestling Freestyle – Male 92kg: Idor Zytea Harris Jr.
- Wrestling Freestyle – Male 125kg: Neal Hicking
- Wrestling Freestyle – Female 69kg: Zyra Neimana
- Athletics Long Jump – Female: Olivia Reed
Silver
- Wrestling Freestyle – Male 71kg: Jordan Lomae
Bronze
- Wrestling Freestyle – Female 61kg: Sydel Ajen
- Weightlifting Clean & Jerk – Female 86kg: Merean Atantaake
- Weightlifting Snatch – Female 86kg: Merean Atantaake
- Weightlifting Total – Female 86kg: Merean Atantaake
- Athletics High Jump – Female: Olivia Reed
Weightlifting star Mike Riklon, known to his community as “Tiny but mighty,” faced a loss for the first time since he debuted internationally in weightlifting in 2018.
Due to the lack of training time he didn’t perform the way he usually does.
He told the Journal that he told his coaches and the National Olympic Committee that he felt he wasn’t ready because of he only trained a month before heading to Palau to compete. But he was told the RMI team needed a flag bearer.
Since this is his first time coming up empty handed, he laughed and said: “I won’t be coming home with any medals. But I will be collecting the medals in the next games.”