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Home > Australia supports 2023 Pacific Games with $17m partnership

Australia supports 2023 Pacific Games with $17m partnership [1]

Honiara, Solomon Islands

Wednesday, November 15, 2023 - 22:06.  Updated on Wednesday, November 15, 2023 - 22:07.

Tonga Table Tennis Para athletes, from left (back) Simote Pepa (Head Coach), Salote Fungavai (Team Manager) and Sifila Vaka (Disability Support). Front: Siaosi Vaka, Meleane Falemaka, Luani Moeakiola. Photo: TTTF.

Australia is supporting Solomon Islands to host a safe and successful 2023 Pacific Games through a $17 million Pacific Games Partnership and additional personnel deployments, made at the request of the Solomon Islands Government.

The 2023 Pacific Games is one of the region’s biggest events, bringing together about 5,000 athletes, officials and support staff from 24 Pacific teams, in Honiara from 19 November to 2 December 2023.

In a joint statement this week, the Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Hon. Pat Conroy, with key officials, including Deputy Prime Minister the Hon. Richard Marles MP, announced Australia's commitment to supporting the Solomon Islands in hosting the 2023 Pacific Games.

To bolster security efforts, Australia will deploy around 100 additional Australian Federal Police (AFP) personnel, joining over 50 colleagues already in the Solomon Islands as part of the Solomons International Assistance Force (SIAF).

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) will send 350 personnel to support the SIAF in various roles, including security and logistics.

“The AFP and ADF personnel will work under the leadership of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) alongside partners from Papua New Guinea, Fiji and New Zealand, to support a safe and secure event.

“Under Australia’s Pacific Games Partnership, almost $17 million in direct support will leave a lasting legacy in Solomon Islands, including upgrades to seven schools and deeper ties with Australian sporting institutions,” stated Marles.

“Australia has a long-term commitment to sports development in the Pacific and we are pleased to be assisting Pacific athletes and sporting institutions from across the region.”

A 75-strong Australian team will participate in various events, including athletics, archery, boxing, and weightlifting, with some competitions serving as qualifying events for the Paris Olympics in certain sports.

Tonga Table Tennis Para athletes, Siaosi Vaka, Meleane Falemaka and Luani Moeakiola are supported by the Australian High Commission in Nuku’alofa to attend the 2023 Pacific Games.

Tonga Table Tennis para athlete, Luani Moeakiola. 'Atele Indoor Stadium, Tongatapu. Photo: TTTF
Pacific Islands [2]
Tonga [3]
Solomon Islands [4]
Pacific Games 2023 [5]
Tonga Table Tennis [6]
para-athletes [7]
Australian aid to Tonga [8]
Sports [9]

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Source URL:https://matangitonga.to/2023/11/15/australia-supports-2023-pacific-games-17m-partnership

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[1] https://matangitonga.to/2023/11/15/australia-supports-2023-pacific-games-17m-partnership [2] https://matangitonga.to/tag/pacific-islands?page=1 [3] https://matangitonga.to/tag/tonga?page=1 [4] https://matangitonga.to/tag/solomon-islands?page=1 [5] https://matangitonga.to/tag/pacific-games-2023?page=1 [6] https://matangitonga.to/tag/tonga-table-tennis?page=1 [7] https://matangitonga.to/tag/para-athletes-0?page=1 [8] https://matangitonga.to/tag/australian-aid-tonga?page=1 [9] https://matangitonga.to/topic/sports?page=1