Cook Islands Handball used the 2026 Beach Games as a key preparation opportunity for both youth teams, and the national men and women’s teams ahead of an upcoming beach handball competition in Christchurch, New Zealand. TEITIMOANA TAIRI/26011425/26011426
The Cook Islands national sporting body plans to enhance future editions of the annual Cook Islands Beach Games by potentially rescheduling the event, expanding categories and sporting codes and leveraging venue upgrades to increase participation and the festival atmosphere.
Cook Islands Sports and National Olympic Committee (CISNOC) secretary general Geoffrey Halston said they would be identifying ways to deliver a more impactful Beach Games moving forward, following a post-event review with national federations.
The 2026 Beach Games, held last week at the National Beach Courts in Nikao, was hailed a “success”. The condensed version of the Games featured four sporting codes – beach netball, AirBadminton, beach handball and beach volleyball.
Halston said the review would include taking into consideration planned venue upgrade works in the area and how these can be leveraged to improve athlete and spectator experience.
“Future editions of the CI Games may also expand to may include Beach Games CI Games Edition, Youth and Masters Categories, and additional sporting codes – particularly those featured in Mini Games,” he added.
“We are also exploring ways to freshen up the event atmosphere by attracting a broader audience and enhancing the social and festival vibe, while still maintaining strong competitive standards.
“We will also assess the potential benefits of hosting the Beach Games at a different time of year to further increase participation and overall appeal.”
Halston said the 2026 Beach Games was a successful event. He said each sport reached its team cap, and games were delivered on schedule throughout the competition.
“We received positive feedback on the revised prize-giving format and the introduction of trophies, both of which were new features this year and added to the overall professionalism of the event.”
The four sporting codes attracted strong participation, with most teams returning from previous editions of the Beach Games, Halston noted.
“Teams such as Vodafone and Brew Crew competed across the full week, registering in three different sports, which highlighted the multi-sport, family, fun and fitness culture of the event.
“Air badminton teams were predominantly affiliated with the Cook Islands Badminton Federation, while handball and volleyball successfully brought in their own self-sourced sponsorships to add to the prize pool, helping to enhance the quality and profile of their competitions.”
Halston said Cook Islands Handball also used the Beach Games as a key preparation opportunity for both youth teams, and the national men and women’s teams ahead of an upcoming beach handball competition in Christchurch, New Zealand.
“This highlights the Beach Games’ growing importance as a high-performance pathway event, in addition to its community and recreational focus.
“We were pleased to welcome new Beach Games major sponsor this year who generously donated prize money, trophies and vouchers across all codes, including place-getters and winners.”
Halston thanked Vonnia’s, Papa Nia and Yvonne Heather, “who consistently support local sport and community events with their generosity. Their contribution made a meaningful difference to the overall success of the Games.”
