2023 Pacific Games

17th edition of the Pacific Games

XVII Pacific Games

Host city| Honiara
Country| Solomon Islands
Motto| Challenge, Celebrate, Unite
Nations| 24
Events| 342 in 24 sports
Opening| 19 November 2023
Closing| 2 December 2023
Opened by| Manasseh Sogavare
Athlete's Oath| Marx Boussougou
Lara Grangeon
Website| sol2023.com.sb

<- Apia 2019

Pirae 2027 ->

The 2023 Pacific Games, officially known as the XVII Pacific Games and commonly known as Sol 2023 or Honiara 2023, was a continental multi-sport event for Oceania countries and territories held in Honiara, Solomon Islands between 19 November and 2 December 2023.[1] This was the first time that the Solomon Islands have hosted the Pacific Games.

The Games were originally scheduled for 16–29 July 2023. However, in July 2021, the Games organizers requested a date change due to delays in preparation for the games caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in Solomon Islands.[2]

New Caledonia topped the medal table by both total golds (82) and total medals (197), with Tahiti finishing second by both respects (57 and 160). Australia finished third, setting a record for the most gold medals and total medals ever won by their delegation at a Pacific Games with 50 and 84. Samoa finished fourth, with a total of 34 gold and 76 medals. Papua New Guinea rounded off the top five list with 29 gold medals and third in the overall medal count, with 105 medals. Host nation Solomon Islands won twelve gold medals and 78 medals, its best result at any Pacific Games, finishing in seventh place. Marshall Islands won their first ever Pacific Games gold medals, a record five all from weightlifting.

## Host selection

[edit]

Two countries expressed interest and launched bids for the 17th games. Tahiti, French Polynesia, which hosted the event in 1971 and 1995, was the first to express their intentions in hosting the 2023 Games during the Pacific Games Council (PGC) General Assembly in Port Moresby in July 2015. The other bidder, the Solomon Islands, in 2016 expressed interest with Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare launching the country's bid for a potential first time host of the quadrennial event.[3] On 11 May 2016, during the PGC General Assembly in Port Vila, with the decision taken by the 22 members of the PGC awarded the hosting rights to the Solomon Islands. The margin of victory was reportedly a single vote.[4]

2023 Pacific Games bidding results

City | PGA | Final Votes
Honiara |  Solomon Islands | 12
Pape'ete |  Tahiti, French Polynesia | 10

## Development and preparation

[edit]

The 'Pacific Games 2023 Act 2017' created the National Hosting Authority (NHA) as the 2023 Pacific Games Hosting Authority to manage the duties of the committees created by the Act, including the Games Organizing Committee, Games Facilities Committee, and NHA Secretariat.[5] The NHA's responsibility is to oversee the 2023 Pacific Games overall by making sure the Solomon Islands Pacific Games Association and the Government fulfill their obligations under the host contract and by managing the Games' financial planning and budgeting. This strives to ensure vital connection between public services, venues, and building. Additionally, NHA makes sure that the provisions of the Pacific Games 2023 Act (2017) are followed and upheld.[6]

### Security

[edit]

Military and police personal from Australia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and New Zealand assisted the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force throughout the games.[7][8]

## Venues

[edit]

The games will take place in 11 venues spread across the host city of Honiara. The 2023 Pacific Games' sport venues are conveniently close to one another and can be reached in 5 to 30 minutes.[9] The following venues 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 Precinct (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) – 3x3 Basketball, Beach volleyball, Karate, Judo
* SIFF Academy (Field 1 & 2) – Football

## Participating nations

[edit]

24 countries and territories participated: the 22 Pacific Games Associations (PGA), and two Associate members - New Zealand, and Australia.

* American Samoa (189)
* Australia (75)
* Cook Islands (103)
* Federated States of Micronesia (4)
* Fiji (592)
* Guam (49)
* Kiribati (111)
* Marshall Islands (8)
* Nauru (100)
* 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 (601) (Host)
* Tahiti (223)
* Tokelau (1)
* Tonga (58)
* Tuvalu (81)
* Vanuatu (158)
* Wallis and Futuna (63)

## Sports

[edit]

As amended in the Pacific Games charter on 14 July 2019, in Apia, Samoa, the programme of the Pacific Games shall consist of 17 mandatory sports and 7 optionals who have to reflect the local interests.[10][11] The following sports are scheduled for the games:

* Archery  (11)
* Athletics  (54)
* Basketball
* Basketball (2)
* 3x3 basketball (2)
* Bodybuilding  (15)
* Boxing  (12)
* Field hockey  (2)
* Football  (2)
* Golf  (4)
* Judo  (17)
* Karate  (17)
* Netball  (1)
* Outrigger canoeing
* Va'a (12)
* Kayak (8)
* Powerlifting  (16)
* Rugby league nines  (2)
* Rugby sevens  (2)
* Sailing  (9)
* Swimming  (43)
* Table tennis  (11)
* Taekwondo  (18)
* Tennis  (7)
* Touch rugby  (3)
* Triathlon  (6)
* Volleyball
* Volleyball (2)
* Beach volleyball (2)
* Weightlifting  (60)

## Calendar

[edit]

The 2023 schedule by session was released by the Games Organizing Committee on 19 June 2023.[12]

Daily medal events for all sports are yet to be confirmed.

All dates are Solomon Islands Time (GMT+11)

OC | Opening ceremony  | ● | Event competitions  | 1 | Gold medal events  | CC | Closing ceremony

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

November/December 2023  | November  | December  | Events

|
|
|

Fri  | 18
Sat  | 19
Sun  | 20
Mon  | 21
Tue  | 22
Wed  | 23
Thu  | 24
Fri  | 25
Sat  | 26
Sun  | 27
Mon  | 28
Tue  | 29
Wed  | 30
Thu  | 1
Fri  | 2
Sat
Ceremonies |  |  | OC |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | CC |
Archery |  |  |  |  | 4 |  | ●  | 7 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 11
Athletics |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 7 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 2 | 54
Basketball |  Basketball  | ●  | ●  |  | ●  | ●  | ●  | ●  | ●  | 2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2
3×3 Basketball  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ●  | ●  | ●  | 2 | 2
Bodybuilding |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 15 |  |  |  |  |  | 15
Boxing |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ●  |  | ●  | 4 | 9 | 13
Field hockey |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ●  | ●  | ●  | 2 |  | 2
Football | ●  | ●  |  | ●  | ●  |  | ●  | ●  |  |  | ●  | ●  |  | ●  | 1 | 1 | 2
Golf |  |  |  |  |  | ●  | ●  | ●  | 4 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4
Judo |  |  |  | 10 | 7 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 17
Karate |  |  |  |  |  |  | 11 | 6 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 17
Netball |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ●  | ●  | ●  | ●  | ●  | 1 | 1
Outrigger canoeing |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 2 |  | 20
Powerlifting |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 8 | 4 | 4 |  |  | 16
Rugby league nines |  |  |  | ●  | ●  | 2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2
Rugby sevens |  |  |  |  |  |  | ●  | ●  | 2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2
Sailing |  |  |  | ●  | ●  | ●  | ●  | ●  | 5 |  | ●  | ●  | ●  | ●  | ●  | 4 | 9
Swimming |  |  |  | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 3 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 43
Table tennis |  |  |  | ●  | ●  | 4 | ●  | 1 | 8 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 13
Taekwondo |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 9 | 9 |  |  |  | 18
Tennis | ●  | ●  |  | ●  | 2 | ●  | ●  | ●  | ●  |  | ●  | ●  | 1 | 4 |  |  | 7
Touch rugby |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ●  | ●  | 2 | ●  | ●  | 1 | 3
Triathlon |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ●  | 2 | 4 |  | 6
Volleyball |  Indoor volleyball  | ●  | ●  |  | ●  | ●  | ●  | ●  | ●  | 2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2
Beach volleyball  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ●  | ●  | ●  | ●  | 2 | 2
Weightlifting |  |  |  | 15 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 9 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 60
Total events |  |  |  | 33 | 33 | 26 | 31 | 31 | 26 |  | 26 | 33 | 30 | 26 | 26 | 22  | 343
Cumulative total |  |  |  | 33 | 66 | 92 | 123 | 154 | 180 |  | 206 | 239 | 269 | 295 | 321 | 343
November/December  | Fri
17  | Sat
18  | Sun
19  | Mon
20  | Tue
21  | Wed
22  | Thu
23  | Fri
24  | Sat
25  | Sun
26  | Mon
27  | Tue
28  | Wed
29  | Thu
30  | Fri
1  | Sat
2  | Events

## Medal table

[edit]

* Host nation (Solomon Islands)

2023 Pacific Games medal table[13]Rank| Nation| Gold| Silver| Bronze| Total

|
|
|
|
|

1|  New Caledonia| 82| 57| 58| 197
2|  Tahiti| 57| 51| 51| 159
3|  Australia| 50| 24| 10| 84
4|  Samoa| 34| 23| 19| 76
5|  Papua New Guinea| 29| 37| 39| 105
6|  Fiji| 21| 31| 41| 93
7|  Solomon Islands*| 12| 38| 29| 79
8|  New Zealand| 10| 12| 12| 34
9|  Nauru| 9| 12| 7| 28
10|  Guam| 7| 4| 6| 17
11|  Cook Islands| 5| 3| 10| 18
12|  Marshall Islands| 5| 3| 2| 10
13|  Northern Mariana Islands| 5| 1| 6| 12
14|  Kiribati| 4| 1| 6| 11
15|  Wallis and Futuna| 3| 6| 6| 15
16|  Vanuatu| 3| 5| 11| 19
17|  Federated States of Micronesia| 3| 1| 0| 4
18|  Tonga| 2| 8| 9| 19
19|  Niue| 1| 0| 1| 2
20|  Tuvalu| 0| 5| 0| 5
21|  American Samoa| 0| 3| 3| 6
22|  Palau| 0| 0| 3| 3
23|  Norfolk Island| 0| 0| 1| 1
24|  Tokelau| 0| 0| 0| 0
Totals (24 entries)| 342| 325| 330| 997

## Ceremonies

[edit]

### Opening ceremony

[edit]

Main article: 2023 Pacific Games opening ceremony

The opening ceremony of the 2023 Pacific Games took place on Sunday, 19 November 2023, at the Solomon Islands National Stadium in Honiara, Solomon Islands.

### Closing ceremony

[edit]

The closing ceremony was held on 2 December 2023, in Solomon Islands National Stadium.

## Controversies

[edit]

### Doping

[edit]

In December 2024, the Pacific Games Council confirmed two positive doping tests. Nauru's Mahaasin Daoe failed a doping test and was stripped of a gold medal in the men's 66 kg powerlifting. In the men's shot put, Tahiti's Tumatai Dauphin was stripped from a silver medal after initially placing second.[14] Medals for both events were reallocated respectively.

## See also

[edit]

* 2022 Asian Games

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Solomon Islands awarded 2023 Pacific Games". insidethegames.biz. 11 May 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
2. ^ "Pacific Games in 2023 delayed by four months after Solomon Islands request more time". insidethegames.biz. 10 July 2021. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
3. ^ "Solomon Islands to challenge Tahiti for right to host 2023 Pacific Games". insidethegames.biz. 6 May 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
4. ^ "Solomon Islands awarded 2023 Pacific Games". insidethegames.biz. 11 May 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
5. ^ "Pacific Games 2023 Act 2017" (PDF). www.parliament.gov.sb. National Parliament of Solomon Islands. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
6. ^ "NHA Homepage". www.sol2023nha.com. SOL2023NHA. 17 October 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
7. ^ "Pacific Games 2023: NZDF contingent to support Solomon Islands". RNZ. 14 November 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
8. ^ "Australia sends 100 police to Solomon Islands for Pacific Games". Reuters. 8 November 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
9. ^ "Venues". www.sol2023.com.sb. SOL23. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
10. ^ "Pacific Games Council" (PDF 705 KB). 14 July 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
11. ^ "SOL2023 PACIFIC GAMES MASTER PLAN" (PDF 747 KB). National Hosting Authority - Sol2023. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
12. ^ "GOC release Sol2023 Sports Schedule". Sol2023. 19 June 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
13. ^ "Medal standings". 2023 Pacific Games. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
14. ^ "Athletes from Nauru and Tahiti pay the price for "inadvertent doping" at the 2023 Pacific Games in Solomon Islands". ABC Pacific. 13 December 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2025.

* v
* t
* e

Pacific Games

* Known as the South Pacific Games prior to 2009

Pacific
Games|

* 1963 Suva
* 1966 Nouméa
* 1969 Port Moresby
* 1971 Papeete
* 1975 Guam
* 1979 Suva
* 1983 Apia
* 1987 Nouméa
* 1991 Port Moresby
* 1995 Papeete
* 1999 Guam
* 2003 Suva
* 2007 Apia
* 2011 Nouméa
* 2015 Port Moresby
* 2019 Apia
* 2023 Honiara
* 2027 Pirae
* 2031 Nuku'alofa

Mini
Games|

* 1981 Honiara
* 1985 Rarotonga
* 1989 Nuku'alofa
* 1993 Port Vila
* 1997 Pago Pago
* 2001 Kingston
* 2005 Koror
* 2009 Rarotonga
* 2013 Mata Utu
* 2017 Port Vila
* 2022 Saipan
* 2025 Koror
* 2029 Rarotonga

* Archery
* Athletics
* Badminton
* Baseball
* Basketball
* Beach volleyball
* Boxing
* Cricket
* Field hockey
* Football
* Golf
* Judo
* Netball
* Lawn bowls
* Rugby union (7s & 15s)
* Rugby league (9s)
* Sailing
* Swimming
* Table tennis
* Taekwondo
* Tennis
* Touch rugby
* Triathlon
* Va'a
* Volleyball
* Weightlifting

* v
* t
* e

Countries at the 2023 Pacific Games in Honiara, Solomon Islands

* American Samoa
* Australia
* Cook Islands
* Fiji
* Kiribati
* Guam
* Marshall Islands
* Federated States of Micronesia
* Nauru
* New Caledonia
* Niue
* New Zealand
* Norfolk Island
* Northern Mariana Islands
* Palau
* Papua New Guinea
* Samoa
* Solomon Islands
* Tahiti
* Tonga
* Tuvalu
* Tokelau
* Vanuatu
* Wallis and Futuna

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