Bonne chance to the Pacific’s largest Paralympic team

The Albanese Government wishes bonne chance (good luck) to the 13 athletes from six Pacific Islands nations who will compete across 12 sports at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

This is the largest team of Pacific athletes to qualify for a Paralympic Games, signalling the continued rise of Pacific sport on the global stage.

The 13 athletes are part of a group of 40 Paralympic hopefuls from the Pacific who received support from the Australian Government through PacificAus Sports, in partnership with the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) and Oceania Paralympic Committee (OPC).

This partnership elevates Pacific sporting talent and brings Australia and Pacific island nations together through a shared pursuit of sporting excellence.

These athletes will represent their families, communities, countries, and the Pacific as a whole, with pride – their achievements at the Paralympic Games will be celebrated across the region.

The Paralympic athletes are representing Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, and for the first time, Kiribati.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for International Development and the Pacific, the Hon Pat Conroy MP:

"The Albanese Government is proud to have supported athletes from across the Pacific with their preparations for the Paris 2024 Paralympics.

“To have the largest team of Pacific athletes competing at a Paralympic Games is a fantastic result and a reflection of the depth of sporting talent throughout the region – we wish them the best of luck and look forward to celebrating their achievements as a Pacific family.”

Quotes attributable to President of the Oceania Paralympic Committee, Mr Paul Bird:

“We are extremely grateful for the Australian Government's support of our Pacific Paralympians through the PacificAus Sports program.

“This is vital for the preparation, training and importantly the opportunity to be classified and qualify for the Games. Our Pacific Paralympians are looking forward to representing the region at Paris 2024.”

About PacificAus Sports

PacificAus Sports is an Australian Government sports diplomacy initiative developing pathways for Pacific teams and athletes to compete in elite competitions and access high performance coaching in Australia and internationally. The program partners with Australian national sports organisations to support a range of Pacific sports, including rugby league, rugby union, netball, football, AFL, cricket and Olympic/Paralympic sports, with funding split evenly between women and men.

PacificAus Sports also partners with the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) to promote Pacific sport through ABC Television’s ‘That Pacific Sports Show’ and ABC Radio’s ‘Fresh Off the Field’. The high performance outcomes of PacificAus Sports are complemented by the Australian Government’s Team Up program, which focuses on sport for development in the Pacific. For more information about PacificAus Sports and its initiatives, visit www.pacificaussports.gov.au and follow PacificAus Sports on Facebook.