Steady on now, Joe. Fiji beating Brazil at football…

The latest rallying cry from Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (FASANOC) President Joe Rodan - and there were a few - came during the Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) General Assembly. It encapsulated the sheer positivity and ambition of those present here this week.

Rodan stands out from the crowd, though. Partly because he is vocal, but predominantly as he can also testify to leading a National Olympic Committee from a Pacific island which has tasted Olympic glory. All week the men's rugby sevens success at Rio 2016 was never too far away.

The Olympic squad show off their skills as part of Fiji Airways' pre-flight safety video, featuring a line-out to put baggage in the overheard locker, while they feature in countless Vodafone adverts. Understandably, the team were inducted into the FASANOC Hall of Fame this week.

Rather than settling for celebrating the success, the achievement is being viewed as a catalyst for further triumphs. The rugby sevens team proved it could be done. They proved Pacific nations could compete and succeed at the highest level, which has given the impression that the gold is a regional achievement, rather than just a Fijian one.

Ambition is one thing, though, and the ability to deliver future success is another. The vast majority of NOCs present here are reliant on invitational places for their athletes at the Olympic Games, so any challenge for medals from them seems remote.

"We have got to improve the standards," ONOC President Robin Mitchell told me earlier this week. 

"Particularly in track and field, as there are invitational places. Some NOCs have said 'unless you qualify, you do not get in', to help raise standards. The rugby sevens gold came after 30 years of work, it is a long process."

It is a process the NOCs appear to be relishing. A fascinating debate regarding participation at Olympic Council of Asia events was typical of this. From the Cook Islands to Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea to Guam, their Presidents were definite in their desire for their athletes to have greater competition.

Competing at the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games and using the state-of-the-art facilities in Turkmenistan's capital Ashgabat is viewed as crucial to helping athletes step up a level. An offer to participate in the Asian Games in 2022 is also on the table.

"If I had a dream of competing it was always at the Asian Games," ONOC secretary general Ricardo Blas admitted. "The reality is we are going to have to make a decision on what is our priority for our sports and our funding."

Blas is correct, of course. The increasing number of Games which are opening up to the Oceania region has left them with a dilemma. As some of the smallest NOCs in the world, how do they manage their funds to support athletes’ training and sending them and a team of officials to events? Travel costs were cited repeatedly as a major obstacle, as well as managing a packed schedule. "If New Zealand is struggling, imagine how the Cook Islands feel," the latter's President said here.

In this sense, the Pacific countries are fortunate Ashgabat 2017 have offered to pay for their travel and accommodation, but will this happen for future Games?

The ONOC members, many of whom will be largely dependent on Olympic Solidarity funding, have other issues to attend to as well.

In several countries, the NOCs have taken on a far greater role than their counterparts around the world. A number play a crucial role in trying to tackle issues surrounding health in their nation, with the region facing the problem of non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and hypertension.

The statistic that one amputation takes place in Fiji every eight hours is one that particularly opens your eyes to the difficulties and the important educational role NOCs can play.

For others, NOCs have led clean-up programmes with Olympic Solidarity money, as litter becomes a growing concern.

Despite the challenges faced, the outlook from the NOCs is overwhelmingly positive heading forwards. The Tonga Sports Association and National Olympic Committee's upbeat secretary general Takitoa Taumoepeau highlighted this in his presentation for the Pacific Games. Admitting the preparations for the 2019 event were "running late", Taumoepeau reflected that this was "The Pacific Way - just leave everything to the last minute".

It is hard not to get swept up in the atmosphere, which is friendly and laid-back, despite representatives from the various NOCs trying to drive positive changes. Perhaps this was aided by the environment in Fiji, as proceedings were taking place metres from the beach, while birds flew freely in and out of the hotel's windows. The only time stress appeared present for anyone was when one of the vast number of frogs got a little too close to someone's feet.

Repeated power cuts during the daily afternoon thunderstorm were laughed off, as was Robin Mitchell's accidental announcement of the ONOC vice-presidency result during another report. Even International Olympic Committee vice-president John Coates was able to crack a joke about the Australian Olympic Committee Presidential election, where he faces a leadership challenge.

Behind the sunny exterior, though, there remains the steely desire for the region to make an impact on the world stage, as Fiji managed at Rio 2016. It has whetted the appetite and the Pacific wants more success.

Personally, I am looking forward to the English press picking through the bones of how the national football team lost to Fiji in the future. If that happens, I'll remember Joe Rodan’s aim to beat the Brazilians.