Cook Islands Sports and National Olympic Committee (CISNOC) president Hugh Graham, senior vice president Romani Katoa and acting secretary general Owen Lewis attended the annual Oceania National Olympic Committee (ONOC) General Assembly held in Nadi, Fiji last month.

Graham said this was the Step-Up Oceania Conference 2.0, with the theme “Positioning the Pacific for Success”. 

“This followed on from last year’s inaugural conference, the Brisbane 2032 programme. It was a valuable gathering of athletes, NOC (National Olympic Committee), leaders, government and sports representatives from our Oceania member countries, our Oceania sports partners, Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee, universities and other training providers, including UN agencies, CROP agencies, civil-society and the private sector, with an interest in high performance and sport based contributions towards sustainable development in the Pacific, and expert speakers, partners and exhibitors,” he added.

A workshop dedicated to empowering and inspiring the chefs de mission (CDM) from Oceania, propelling them towards success and excellence in their roles, was also held during the conference. Cook Islands chef de mission Mark Short attended this workshop.

Graham said the Paris 2024 Oceania CDM Workshop was another significant addition to the event, running parallel with the Step-Up Oceania Conference.

“CDM’s were given the opportunity to hear from distinguished speakers, the Paris 2024 Organising Committee, the IOC (International Olympic Committee), our OSEP (Oceania Sports Education Programme) Team Manager Course Facilitators, Training Camp representatives, and the ONOC (Oceania National Olympic Committees) Shared-Services Team.

“Their insights, expertise and guidance provided our CDM with the tools and knowledge needed to develop and execute action plans in a timely and efficient fashion; plans that will drive success in their respective roles.”

Graham also said that the Paris 2024 Organising Committee representatives scheduled one on one sessions with Short over the course of three days.

CISNOC finance manager Keziah Lewis was also in Fiji, attending the ONOC/OS financial workshops and the CDM’s workshop in a supporting role for Short.

Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, and Andrew Parsons, president of the International Paralympic Committee, also attended the General Assembly and the workshops.