By Nick Butler

Guam hopes the ONOC General Assembly will be the first of many major sporting events to be held on the island ©Guam NOCGuam has set its sights on holding more top sports event and conferences, including the 2017 General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC). 


It follows the success of the General Assembly of the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) held on the Pacific Island earlier this month. 

More than 150 delegates from the 17 ONOC member nations took part in the Assembly, including Australia's International Olympic Committee (IOC) vice-president John Coates.

Ricardo Blas, President of the Guam National Olympic Committee, who is also the father of claimed hosting the ANOC General Assembly would bring "high ranking officials from the 204 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) from around the world as well as from the IOC".

Blas also hopes Guam, located close to Micronesia to the east of the Philippines in the Pacific Ocean, could be a sport-training destination for countries preparing for the the next two Summer Olympics, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.

He claimed many visitors had been "amazed" at the advanced nature of facilities at the LeoPalace where the Assembly is being held, and that he had enjoyed positive discussions with ONOC President Robin Mitchell.

"Many of the delegates are really just amazed with LeoPalace, the facility and all the facilities that you have for the sport community," Blas said

"When you compare Guam and the rest of the other islands, because of the American side of us, we're so advanced in that respect.

"One of the things that I've been talking to President Mitchell about is trying to target a few sports and make Guam a Northern Regional Training Centre.

"We surely have the facilities and the capabilities to do it, it's just a matter of getting the right amount of people involved."

More international exposure for Guam would boost opportunities for athletes such as Ricardo Blas Jnr ©Bongarts/Getty ImagesMore international exposure for Guam would boost opportunities for athletes such as Ricardo Blas Jnr, it is claimed by senior officials there ©Bongarts/Getty Images









Blas claimed he expects financial assistance from ONOC and the IOC, as well as from International Federations and other local sponsors to fund such programmes, and that this would benefit the Island in many ways.

"Guam would like to promote sport at home and in the region by developing Regional Training Centres where our athletes and athletes from the region can train and gain knowledge on sport injury prevention, nutrition and sport psychology training," he said.

"We would also train Guam's local coaches and technical officials to achieve higher level coaching and technical officiating certificates."

Guam, is an "unincorporated organised territory" of the United States, as well as a key military base, but considered a "Non-Self-Governing Territory" by the United Nations.

This allowed Guam to receive recognition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1987 and since then the island has competed in seven Summer and one Winter Olympic Games.

They have never won a medal, but enjoyed their best performances in recent Games.

Canoeist Sean Pangelinan reached the semi-finals of the C1 500 metres at Beijing 2008 and judoka Ricardo Blas Jr, son of the GNOC President, at 218 kilograms the heaviest athlete to compete at a Modern Olympics, reached the last 16 of the over 100 kilogram event at London 2012.

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