Koror, Palau - Unlike traditional talent spotting that focuses solely on current performance, ONOC's approach recognizes that true potential often lies beneath the surface. Varanisese Logavatu, Chief Sport Education Program Officer (Acting), explains that talent identification is deeply connected to long-term athlete development. "We're not just looking at who's winning medals today," she notes. "We're looking at athletes who show the potential for growth, the coachability, and the determination that suggests they could excel with the right support system around them."

This philosophy shapes the programme's methodology. Talemo Waqa, OSEP Mentor, describes how they observe different types of talent. "There are talents that are really glaring, and then others that are really dormant, but you can see potential," he explains. The team looks beyond physical abilities to assess skills and potential for individual growth, recognizing that athletic excellence emerges from the right combination of talent, opportunity, and support.

The identification process is refreshingly human-centered. Athletes complete a seven-question survey capturing their basic information, sport, goals and aspirations. Marica Togayali, OSEP Data Administrator, who conducts these interviews, reveals that one telling question asks whether athletes have set goals for the games. "Some of them have not set goals for the mini games," she observes. Rather than seeing this as a shortcoming, the programme views it as an opportunity, recognizing that those seeking experience often possess the openness to learn that characterizes future champions.

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What sets this programme apart is its equal focus on the support ecosystem surrounding each athlete. The identification extends to coaches, strength and conditioning specialists, and the entire entourage that will determine whether potential translates into performance.

The programme's systematic approach is deliberate. "We identify the potential, then we go and look for the coach, the entourage around their potentials," explains Varanisese Logavatu, highlighting how the process examines both athlete and support system capabilities.

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Coach assessment is equally thoughtful. Talemo Waqa emphasizes observing not just technical competence, but the messages coaches relay under pressure. "Competition is a totally different pressure, totally different mindset, totally different psychology," he explains. The team wants to understand what messaging coaches provide when athletes struggle, recognizing that coach-athlete relationships can determine breakthrough or breakdown.

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For team sports, assessment differs significantly. Talemo Waqa explains they watch for athletes demonstrating leadership and influence. "You will find that one or two of them is like influential, because they know how to read the game. They can drive the team and push the team," he notes. They observe which players stay in games for entire matches and what happens to team dynamics when key players are substituted.

The programme acknowledges practical challenges like language barriers and varying support infrastructure across Pacific nations, seeing these not as obstacles but as factors to address through targeted interventions.

Perhaps most importantly, the programme's goal extends beyond immediate success. The aim is creating systems where everyone knows how to nurture identified talent, ensuring athletes receive consistent, high-quality support throughout their developmental journey.

The Talent Identification Programme represents ONOC's commitment to nurturing complete sporting ecosystems, creating pathways where Oceanic sporting potential can flourish.

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For more information about the 2025 Pacific Mini Games, visit;