Pacific Games caught in big-power rivalry as Chinese money rolls in
By AFP
November 18, 2023
HONIARA: A years-long saga mixing big-power rivalry, Chinese money and delayed national elections will reach a conclusion of sorts when the Pacific Games open on Sunday in the remote Solomon Islands.
About 5,000 athletes and officials from 24 Pacific nations are descending on the poverty-stricken capital Honiara for the Olympic-style event. Over the following fortnight athletes will compete for gold in two dozen sports from archery and bodybuilding to va’a, or canoe racing.
It is the biggest sports event ever hosted by the Solomons, a string of islands about 2,000 kilometres (1,200 miles) off Australia’s northeast coast.
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