2023 Pacific Games

The 2023 Pacific Games, officially known as the XVII Pacific Games, will be a continental multi-sport event for Oceania countries and territories that is scheduled to be held in Honiara, Solomon Islands between 19 November and 2 December 2023.[1] This will be the first time the Solomon Islands would host the Pacific Games.

XVII Pacific Games
Official logo of the Games
Host cityHoniara
Country Solomon Islands
MottoChallenge, Celebrate, Unite
Nations24 (expected)
Events24 sports
Opening19 November 2023
Closing2 December 2023

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]

Host selection

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 French Polynesia Tahiti, French Polynesia 10

Development and preparation

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]

Venues

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.[7] The following venues have been confirmed:

  • Solomon Islands National Stadium/Main Stadium (new) – Opening Ceremony, Closing Ceremony, Athletics
  • Friendship Hall (new) – Indoor sports
  • Don Bosco Institute Hall (renovated) – Karate
  • Honiara Golf Club (existing) – Golf
  • HCC Sports Precint (existing) – Basketball, Boxing
  • Maranatha Hall (existing) – Bodybuilding, Powerlifting and Weightlifting
  • Aquatic Center (new) – Swimming
  • DC Park (existing) – Archery, Touch rugby, Sailing, Open water swimming , Va’a/Outrigger canoeing
  • King George Hockey Turf (renovated) – Field hockey
  • SIFF Academy (existing) – Football, Beach volleyball

Participating nations

It is expected that 24 countries and territories are to participate: the 22 Pacific Games Association's (PGA), and two Associate members - New Zealand, and Australia. Nine PGA's are confirmed for the games after qualifying teams for basketball.

  •  American Samoa
  •  Australia
  •  Cook Islands (12)
  •  Federated States of Micronesia
  •  Fiji (24)
  •  Guam (24)
  •  Kiribati
  •  Marshall Islands
  •  Nauru
  •  New Caledonia (24)
  •  New Zealand
  •  Niue
  •  Norfolk Island
  •  Northern Mariana Islands
  •  Palau
  •  Papua New Guinea (24)
  •  Samoa (24)
  •  Solomon Islands (32) (Host)
  •  Tahiti (24)
  •  Tokelau
  •  Tonga (12)
  •  Tuvalu
  •  Vanuatu
  •  Wallis and Futuna

Sports

As amended in the Pacific Games charter on 14 July 2019, in Apia, Samoa, the programme of the Pacific Games shall consist of a maximum 24 sports.[8][9] The following sports are scheduled for the games:

  • Archery (14)
  • Athletics (54)
  • Basketball
    • Basketball (2)
    • 3x3 basketball (2)
  • Bodybuilding
  • Boxing (13)
  • Football (2)
  • Golf (4)
  • Hockey (2)
  • Judo (15)
  • Karate (16)
  • Netball (1)
  • Outrigger canoeing (12)
  • Powerlifting (15)
  • Rugby league nines (2)
  • Rugby sevens (2)
  • Sailing (6)
  • Swimming (42)
  • Table tennis (11)
  • Taekwondo (18)
  • Tennis (7)
  • Touch rugby (3)
  • Triathlon (6)
  • Volleyball
    • Volleyball (2)
    • Beach volleyball (2)
  • Weightlifting (60)

Calendar

References
  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. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  7. "Venues". www.sol2023.com.sb. SOL23. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  8. "Pacific Games Council" (PDF 705 KB). 14 July 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  9. "SOL2023 PACIFIC GAMES MASTER PLAN" (PDF 747 KB). National Hosting Authority - Sol2023. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.