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The Pacific Games

Once known as the South Pacific Games, the Pacific Games is a multi-sport event similar to the Olympics with participating countries exclusively from around the South Pacific region only. The mission of the event is to encourage and develop sporting competition between the South Pacific Nations and their people.

Fiji v Guam basketball at the 2015 Pacific Games

The event was first held in 1963 and since then it has been held approximately every four years. The host alternate between different countries of the Pacific Region. The first-ever South Pacific Games was held at Suva, Fiji. It was originally held at intervals of every three years, but was expanded to four after the Tumon Games in Guam.

In 2015, a total of 24 countries took part in the Pacific Games, boosted by the inclusion of Australia and New Zealand for the first time in the history of the Games. The two countries were invited to participate in four sports; sailing, taekwondo, rugby sevens and weightlifting.

In 2023, there is again 24 nations participating, in 24 sports. There are 37 sports approved by the Pacific Games Council, though a maximum 24 sports can be contested at every games, and 17 of these are core sports that must be included (starting from 2023). The core sports are: Archery, Athletics, Basketball , Boxing, Football, Golf, Judo, Outrigger canoeing, Rugby sevens, Sailing, Swimming, Table tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Triathlon, Volleyball , and Weightlifting.

The most successful team has been New Caledonia.

In 1981, the Pacific Mini Games (formerly known as South Pacific Mini Games) was inaugurated, created to allow the smaller nations to compete against one another. It is also a multi-sport event but smaller than the main Pacific Games. It is also held every four years in the intervening years between the main Pacific Games.

Trivia

• The Games were called the South Pacific Games from 1963 to 2007.
• Underwater fishing was a sport at the Pacific Games four times, in 1971,1975, 1995, and 1999.
• In 2007, the football tournament at the Pacific Games formed part of the qualification to the FIFA World Cup. It was open for teams associated to the Oceania Football Confederation only, like teams from Federated States of Micronesia or Tuvalu.
• At the 2015 Pacific games, Australia and New Zealand took part for the first time.
• Among the athletes at the 2019 Games was Samoa's 74-year-old Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele.

The next Pacific Games

• 2023: Honiara, Solomon Islands
• 2027: Pape'ete, French Polynesia
• See all Hosts
• About Sports of the Pacific Games

Related Pages

• Micronesian Games — a multisport event for ten participant countries, States and territories located within the Micronesian region of Oceania.
• Other International Multi-Events
• Australia at the Pacific Games
• Multi-Sport Events (Games) Calendar

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