Pacific Games 2023: Full Schedule, Preview, Athletes to Watch, Venues, Participating Nations, Sports and How to Watch

Officially dubbed the XVII Pacific Games, the 2023 Pacific Games are a continental multi-sport competition for countries and territories in Oceania that will take place in Honiara, Solomon Islands, from November 19–December 2, 2023. The Pacific Games will be held in the Solomon Islands for the first time ever.

The original dates of the Games were July 16–29, 2023. However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Solomon Islands, which caused delays in preparation for the games, the games’ organizers requested a date change in July 2021.

For the first time, athletes from 23 teams compete in the Pacific Games, which are held in the Solomon Islands. Olympic qualification quotas for Paris 2024 are available in several sports. Find out everything you should know below.

Preview

The 17th edition of the Pacific Games, which will take place in the Solomon Islands from November 19 to December 2, 2023, will be the first time the nation has hosted Oceanian continental games.

Four sports have competitions starting on November 17, two days before the Opening Ceremony on November 19.

Twenty-four teams—22 members of the Pacific Games Council and invited teams from Australia and New Zealand—representing the nations and territories of the region will compete in 346 events spanning 27 sports disciplines. Due to worries that they would win every event, the latter two did not compete at the Pacific Games until 2015. For this reason, both of the biggest sports organizations still do not send complete teams to the Pacific Games.

In boxing and archery, direct quota spots are available for qualification to the Olympics in Paris in 2024.

Athletes to watch

In the history of the Pacific Games, athletes from New Caledonia, a French territory in the Pacific, have dominated the sport. These athletes would represent France in most major international competitions. Watch out for Fijian athletes as well. Although Australia and New Zealand, two of the biggest sports nations, are sending smaller teams, their performance is still expected to be high.

Athletes competing include two-time Olympian Sally Yee from Fiji in table tennis, two-time Olympic medallist Ryan Tyack in archery from Australia, and two-time Commonwealth Games boxing silver medallist Ato Plodzicki-Faoagali from Samoa. Fiji’s women’s rugby sevens team won bronze in Tokyo 2020.

A Paris 2024 quota spot will be awarded to the gold medalists in the mixed team archery event as well as the winners of each of the 13 boxing weight categories. Athletes’ ability to compete in the Paris Games is contingent upon their National Olympic Committee (NOC) choosing to represent their delegation in Paris in 2024. NOCs hold the exclusive authority over a country’s representation at the Olympic Games.

Venues

11 venues throughout Honiara, the host city, will host the games. The sporting venues for the 2023 Pacific Games are easily accessible and can be reached in 5 to 30 minutes. The following have been confirmed:

• Aquatic Center (new) – Swimming
• DC Park (existing) – Archery, Sailing, Open water swimming, Touch rugby, Va’a/Outrigger canoeing
• Friendship Hall (new) – Basketball, Boxing, Netball, Volleyball
• HCC Sports Precint (existing) – Table tennis
• Honiara Golf Club (existing) – Golf
• King George Hockey Turf (renovated) – Field hockey
• Lawson Tama Stadium (existing) – Football
• Maranatha Hall (existing) – Bodybuilding, Powerlifting, Weightlifting
• National Stadium (Solomon Islands)/Main Stadium (new) – Opening Ceremony, Closing Ceremony, Athletics, Football, Rugby league 9s, Rugby 7s
• National Tennis Center (renovated) – Tennis
• SIFF Academy (existing) – 3×3 Basketball, Beach volleyball, Karate, Judo
• SIFF Academy (Field 1 & 2) – Football

Participating nations

It is anticipated that 22 Pacific Games Associations (PGA) and two Associate members, Australia and New Zealand, will make up the 24 countries and territories that will take part.

•  American Samoa (189)
•  Australia (75)
•  Cook Islands (103)
•  Federated States of Micronesia (4)
•  Fiji (592)
•  Guam (49)
•  Kiribati (3)
•  Marshall Islands (8)
•  Nauru (8)
•  New Caledonia (285)
•  New Zealand (46)
•  Niue (47)
•  Norfolk Island (30)
•  Northern Mariana Islands (92)
•  Palau (23)
•  Papua New Guinea (382)
•  Samoa (112)
•  Solomon Islands (32) (Host)
•  Tahiti (97)
•  Tokelau
•  Tonga (58)
•  Tuvalu (10)
•  Vanuatu (158)
•  Wallis and Futuna (12)

Sports

The Pacific Games’ schedule will feature a maximum of 24 sports, as per the charter amendment made on July 14, 2019, in Apia, Samoa. The games will feature the following sports:

•  Archery (14)
•  Athletics (54)
• Basketball
  • Basketball (2)
  • 3×3 basketball (2)
•  Bodybuilding (12)
•  Boxing (13)
•  Field hockey (2)
•  Football (2)
•  Golf (4)
•  Judo (14)
•  Karate (16)
•  Netball (1)
•  Outrigger canoeing (20)
•  Powerlifting (16)
•  Rugby league nines (2)
•  Rugby sevens (2)
•  Sailing (6)
•  Swimming (43)
•  Table tennis (11)
•  Taekwondo (19)
•  Tennis (7)
•  Touch rugby (3)
•  Triathlon (6)
• Volleyball
  • Volleyball (2)
  • Beach volleyball (2)
•  Weightlifting (60)

Opening ceremony

On Sunday, November 19, 2023, the Solomon Islands National Stadium in Honiara, the Solomon Islands, will host the opening ceremony of the 2023 Pacific Games.

Closing ceremony

There will be a closing ceremony at Solomon Islands National Stadium on December 2, 2023.

2023 Pacific Games Schedule

1. Opening Ceremony: 19 November
2. Archery: 21–24 November
3. Athletics: 27 November–2 December
4. Basketball: 17–25 November
5. Basketball 3X3: 29 November–2 December
6. Beach Volleyball: 28 November–2 December
7. Bodybuilding: 27 November
8. Boxing: 28 November–2 December
9. Football: 17 November–2 December
10. Golf: 22–25 November
11. Hockey: 28 November–1 December
12. Judo: 20–21 November
13. Karate: 23–24 November
14. Kayak: 27–30 November
15. Netball: 27 November–2 December
16. Powerlifting: 28–30 November
17. Rugby League Nines: 20–22 November
18. Rugby Sevens (Union): 23–25 November
19. Sailing: 20 November–2 December
20. Swimming: 20–25 November
21. Table Tennis: 20–25 November
22. Taekwondo: 28–29 November
23. Tennis: 17–30 November
24. Touch Rugby: 27 November–2 December
25. Triathlon: 29 November–1 December
26. Va’a (outrigger canoe): 27 November–1 December
27. Volleyball: 17–25 November
28. Weightlifting: 20–24 November
29. Closing Ceremony: 2 December

How to watch the 2023 Pacific Games

Here is a selected list of broadcasters for the Sol2023 Games:

• Australia – SBS, NITV
• Solomon Islands – SIBC TV, TTV
• New Caledonia, Tahiti (French Polynesia), Wallis and Futuna – France Télévisions
• Papua New Guinea – NBC
• Fiji – Fiji TV
• Samoa – SBC TV1
• Vanuatu – VBTC
• Tonga – Tonga Broadcasting Corporation