1. Organisation

2. Sports

3. Results

4. Medal table

5. See also

6. References

7. Sources

8. External links

The 2003 South Pacific Games were held in Suva, Fiji from 28 June to 12 July 2003. They are also known as the XII South Pacific Games.

The Games were the 12th South Pacific Games to be held since the event's inception and were the 40th anniversary of their beginnings in 1963. It was also the third time in the event's history that they had been hosted in Suva. For the first time, the Games included both traditional multi-sport event disciplines such as athletics and swimming together with region-specific and smaller events such as outrigger canoeing, surfing and lawn bowls. Almost 5,000 athletes participated in the Games.^[1]

Organisation

Fijian government funding aided by a $16 million aid package from the People's Republic of China^[1] 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),^[1] 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.^[2]

The 2003 SPG were the biggest Games to date.^[3] There were some 300 medal ceremonies with over 860 presentations and 2,300 individual medals.^[6]

Sports

The following sports were competed:{{sfn|SPG Medal Tally|2003}}

• Archery ({{detailslink|Archery at the 2003 South Pacific Games}})
• Athletics ({{detailslink|Athletics at the 2003 South Pacific Games}})
• Badminton ({{detailslink|Badminton at the 2003 South Pacific Games}})
• Baseball ({{detailslink|Baseball at the 2003 South Pacific Games}})
• Basketball ({{detailslink|Basketball at the 2003 South Pacific Games}})
• Beach Volleyball ({{detailslink|Beach volleyball at the 2003 South Pacific Games}})
• Bodybuilding ({{detailslink|Bodybuilding at the 2003 South Pacific Games}})
• Boxing ({{detailslink|Boxing at the 2003 South Pacific Games}})
• Cricket ({{detailslink|Cricket at the 2003 South Pacific Games}})
• Cycling ({{detailslink|Cycling at the 2003 South Pacific Games}})
• Football ({{detailslink|Football at the 2003 South Pacific Games}})
• Golf ({{detailslink|Golf at the 2003 South Pacific Games}})
• Hockey ({{detailslink|Hockey at the 2003 South Pacific Games}})
• Judo ({{detailslink|Judo at the 2003 South Pacific Games}})
• Karate ({{detailslink|Karate at the 2003 South Pacific Games}})
• Lawn Bowls ({{detailslink|Lawn bowls at the 2003 South Pacific Games}})
• Netball ({{detailslink|Netball at the 2003 South Pacific Games}})
• Powerlifting ({{detailslink|Powerlifting at the 2003 South Pacific Games}})
• Rugby sevens ({{detailslink|Rugby sevens at the 2003 South Pacific Games}})
• Sailing ({{detailslink|Sailing at the 2003 South Pacific Games}})
• Shooting ({{detailslink|Shooting at the 2003 South Pacific Games}})
• Squash ({{detailslink|Squash at the 2003 South Pacific Games}})
• Surfing ({{detailslink|Surfing at the 2003 South Pacific Games}})
• Swimming ({{detailslink|Swimming at the 2003 South Pacific Games}})
• Table tennis ({{detailslink|Table tennis at the 2003 South Pacific Games}})
• Taekwondo ({{detailslink|Taekwondo at the 2003 South Pacific Games}})
• Tennis ({{detailslink|Tennis at the 2003 South Pacific Games}})
• Touch Rugby ({{detailslink|Touch rugby at the 2003 South Pacific Games}})
• Triathlon ({{detailslink|Triathlon at the 2003 South Pacific Games}})
• Va'a ({{detailslink|Outrigger canoeing at the 2003 South Pacific Games}})
• Volleyball ({{detailslink|Volleyball at the 2003 South Pacific Games}})
• Weightlifting ({{detailslink|Weightlifting at the 2003 South Pacific Games}})

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.{{sfn|SPG Results|2003|p=1}}

See also

• Athletics at the 2003 South Pacific Games
• Swimming at the 2003 South Pacific Games
• Vodafone Arena (Fiji)

References

Sources

• {{cite report

• {{cite report

External links

• {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012180732/http://www.southpacificgames.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=23&Itemid=26|title= SPG Blog - Fiji 2003 Medal Table|date=12 October 2007}}
• {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901200435/http://websites.sportstg.com/get_file.cgi?id=3835949|title=SPG 2003 List of Medalists|date=1 September 2017}}

• Tom Mboya Street
• Tom McAdams
• Tom McAlpine
• Tom McArdle
• Tom McArthur
• Tom McArthur (Australian football umpire)
• Tom McArthur (author)
• Tom McArthur (linguist)
• Tom McArthur (writer)
• Tom McAteer
• Tom McCarthy (actor)
• Tom McCarthy (broadcaster)
• Tom McCarthy (trade unionist)
• Tom McCarthy (writer)
• Tom McCartin
• Tom McCormack (hurler)
• Tom McCoy
• Tom McCoy (ice hockey)
• Tom McCulloch (disambiguation)
• Tom McDermott (footballer)
• Tom McDonald (politician)
• Tom McEllistrim (1926-2000)
• Tom McEwan
• Tom McEwan (footballer)
• Tom McGrath (runner)