2003 South Pacific Games

Organisation

Fijian government funding aided by a $16 million aid package from the People's Republic of China saw the construction of a new gymnasium and indoor sports center, swimming pool and stadium, field hockey pitch and stands as well as the upgrading of existing facilities for other sports.

A strong corporate sponsorship package (including some 20 corporate sponsors), a first for the games, enabled the organizers to expand the scope of the event. A colorful media and publicity campaign - including the Games' mascot, a blue lizard named Tau (meaning "friend" in Fijian) - generated interest and enthusiasm amongst the Fijian public. Schools and youth groups were involved in interactive programs such as the adopt-a-country program.

The 2003 SPG were the biggest Games to date. There were some 300 medal ceremonies with over 860 presentations and 2,300 individual medals.

Sports

The following sports were competed:

• [[Image:Archery pictogram.svg|30px]] Archery ()
• [[Image:Athletics pictogram.svg|30px]] Athletics ()
• [[File:Badminton pictogram.svg|30px]] Badminton ()
• [[File:Baseball pictogram.svg|30px]] Baseball ()
• [[File:Basketball pictogram.svg|30px]] Basketball ()
• [[File:Volleyball (beach) pictogram.svg|30px]] Beach volleyball ()
• [[File:Bodybuilding pictogram.svg|30px]] Bodybuilding ()
• [[File:Boxing pictogram.svg|30px]] Boxing ()
• [[File:Cricket pictogram.svg|30px]] Cricket ()
• [[File:Cycling (road) pictogram.svg|30px]] Cycling ()
• [[File:Football pictogram.svg|30px]] Football ()
• [[File:Golf pictogram.svg|30px]] Golf ()
• [[File:Field hockey pictogram.svg|30px]] Hockey ()
• [[File:Judo pictogram.svg|30px]] Judo ()
• [[File:Karate pictogram.svg|30px]] Karate ()
• [[File:Bocce pictogram.svg|30px]] Lawn bowls ()
• [[File:Netball pictogram.svg|30px]] Netball ()
• [[File:Powerlifting pictogram (Paralympics).svg|30px]] Powerlifting ()
• [[File:Rugby union pictogram.svg|30px]] Rugby sevens ()
• [[File:Sailing pictogram.svg|30px]] Sailing ()
• [[File:Shooting pictogram.svg|30px]] Shooting ()
• [[File:Squash pictogram.svg|30px]] Squash ()
• [[File:Surfing pictogram.svg|30px]] Surfing ()
• [[File:Swimming pictogram.svg|30px]] Swimming ()
• [[File:Table tennis pictogram.svg|30px]] Table tennis ()
• [[File:Taekwondo pictogram.svg|30px]] Taekwondo ()
• [[File:Tennis pictogram.svg|30px]] Tennis ()
• [[File:Rugby union pictogram.svg|30px]] Touch rugby ()
• [[File:Triathlon pictogram.svg|30px]] Triathlon ()
• [[Image:Canoeing (flatwater) pictogram.svg|30px]] Va'a ()
• [[File:Volleyball (indoor) pictogram.svg|30px]] Volleyball ()
• [[File:Weightlifting pictogram.svg|30px]] Weightlifting ()

Note: Full results for all sports have been published on the 2003 SPG official website .

Results

Hosts Fiji won the first gold medals of the games in women's archery and went on to top the athletics medal count to add to their best-ever medal haul at the SPG. Guam retained its place in baseball winning their second SPG gold medal. The cricket final saw Papua New Guinea overcome Fiji by a single run for the gold medal.

Fijian athletics dominated the athletics events winning a total of 19 gold medals. Makelesi Bulikiombo, the Fijian flag-bearer in the opening ceremony, won 5 gold medals and broke 4 games records. Fiji also took gold, silver and bronze in each of the men's and women's 100m and 200m and both gold and silver in the 400m.

The football competition was one of the sports to be held in venues other than Suva. Fiji won the men's final beating New Caledonia while Papua New Guinea took the first-ever women's football gold medal in a round robin format.

Continuing their domination at the games, Fiji won a further gold in the first-ever women's field hockey competition at the SPG.

The Pacific region-specific sports of outrigger canoeing were contested between Tahiti and New Caledonia and Tonga and Tahiti surfed to gold at the Tavarua breaks.

Medal table

New Caledonia topped the medal count.

References

|access-date= 27 May 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150528100315/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2003-06-28/south-pacific-games-under-way-in-fiji/1878410 |archive-date= 28 May 2015}}

|access-date=9 July 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150709161559/http://www.office-converter.com/server/php/files/vphe3f1rmcm0d1io8qsdfaiuf3/html/2003-SPG-medallists..html |archive-date=9 July 2015

|archive-date=20 August 2004

Sources

• {{cite report |access-date=6 November 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304082823/http://www.foxsportspulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?c=7-2310-0-0-0&sID=17466 |archive-date=4 March 2016

• {{cite report |access-date= 31 October 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151031122231/http://www.sportingpulse.com/get_file.cgi?id=3835949 |archive-date= 31 October 2015

References

1. "PataraPacific.com".
2. "OceaniaSport.info".
3. Prasad, Shoma. "Rousing start to 12th South Pacific Games". Wansolwara Online.