OSEP Strengthens Regional Capacity with Appointment of Two New Mentors

SUVA, FIJI (26 November 2025) – The Oceania Sport Education Programme (OSEP) has strengthened its regional capacity with the appointment of two new Mentors, Lemalu Nynette Sass of Samoa and Joey Miranda III of Guam. The appointments were formally announced on 26 November, with both leaders having commenced their new roles in August 2025. The appointments reflect OSEP’s continued investment in building high-quality sport education leadership across Oceania.

Both leaders bring decades of combined experience in sport administration, governance, and athlete development, and now join OSEP’s Mentor cadre to support the delivery, quality assurance, and continuous development of education programmes across the region.

The appointments reinforce OSEP’s strategic focus on developing local expertise and ensuring sustainable knowledge transfer across National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and sport federations. As Mentors, Sass and Miranda support educator quality assurance, lead continuous professional development initiatives, and coordinate the delivery of key courses across multiple education streams.

Lemalu Nynette Sass – Regional Master Educator (Samoa)

Lemalu Nynette Sass brings outstanding credentials to her role as Regional Master Educator. She has served two terms on the Board of the Samoa Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (SASNOC), including as Chair of the Women in Sport Commission. Her long-standing commitment to equity is further reflected through several years of service on the ONOC Equity Commission, where she championed inclusive sport development across the region.

Her international experience includes multiple appointments as Chef de Mission, leading Samoa’s delegations to the 2017 Vanuatu Mini Games, the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, the 2018 Buenos Aires Youth Olympic Games, the 2019 Samoa Pacific Games, and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, delivered under unprecedented COVID-19 conditions.

Sass began her OSEP journey in 2014 during the first leg of MOSO training in Tonga and was quickly identified for accelerated development. Her progression from Master Educator to Regional Master Educator, and subsequently to National Lead Master Educator for Samoa, reflects both her leadership capability and academic excellence. She was also a top equal recipient of the MOSO Advanced Diploma in Sport Management.

“As a Mentor, I intend to strengthen the train-the-trainer approach to build local capacity,” Sass said. “As a high chief, I can also advocate at village level to ensure cultural buy-in for education and training. Pacific values must be embedded in our learning pathways, as sport is both a cultural legacy and a modern industry in our region.”

Sass has made significant contributions to OSEP curriculum development, including serving on the Industry Advisory Committee for the Certificate IV and Diploma VI in Sport Management, contributing to the review of several core OSEP modules, and most recently leading development of OSEP’s Safeguarding curriculum.

Joey Miranda III – Regional Master Educator (Micronesia)

Joey Miranda III complements these appointments with extensive experience across sport development, governance, and international administration. Since 2017, he has served as a Board Member and Sport Development Officer with the Guam National Olympic Committee, and was appointed an OSEP Regional Master Educator in 2018 in recognition of his capacity-building leadership across Micronesia.

Miranda currently serves as President of the Micronesian Games Council and holds senior leadership roles in bowling administration, including President of the Oceania Bowling Federation and Guam Bowling Congress, and Executive Committee Member of the International Bowling Federation. He has also served as Executive Director of the Asian Intercity Bowling Council since 2002.

His technical expertise extends to anti-doping, having served as Lead Doping Control Officer for the Guam NOC NADO since 2014, with Games-time experience at multiple Pacific and regional events.

Strengthening the Mentor Pathway

Mr. Talemo Waqa, who has served as an OSEP Mentor for several years, has been mentoring Lemalu Nynette Sass and Joey Miranda III in their Regional Master Educator roles and has confirmed they are now ready to join him as Mentors. Together, the three represent Melanesia (Talemo Waqa), Micronesia (Joey Miranda III), and Polynesia (Lemalu Nynette Sass), strengthening OSEP’s sub-regional balance and leadership depth.

OSEP also formally acknowledged Mr. Waqa’s long-standing contribution to the programme, recognising his leadership, commitment to educator development, and role in mentoring the next generation of regional education leaders within OSEP.

Strategic Investment in Education Leadership

ONOC Executive Director Inoke Bainimarama described the appointments as a strategic investment in the region’s sporting future.

“Lemalu Nynette Sass and Joey Miranda III bring exceptional technical expertise, cultural understanding, and proven leadership,” Bainimarama said. “As we progress toward Brisbane 2032, strengthening education systems around our athletes is critical. These appointments ensure our NOCs and federations have access to world-class education that reflects Pacific values and international standards.”

As Mentors, the three leaders support quality assurance, educator development, course delivery across multiple streams, and strategic advisory support to NOCs. Their combined expertise in governance, safeguarding, cultural engagement, and international sport administration positions them to play a key role in advancing OSEP’s regional capacity-building agenda.

The appointments reaffirm OSEP’s commitment to building a sustainable, Pacific-led education ecosystem that supports athlete excellence, organisational integrity, and long-term legacy across Oceania.