August 25th - September 5th
After the shock of the 1991 SPG when both the French territories from the Pacific were removed from their mantle as the premier sporting nations of the region, both New Caledonia and Tahiti were keen to set the record straight. The tenth games were held in a spirit of celebration of a milestone of the double figure being reached for the SPG. Facilities and venues were classified as being of international standards.
This was achieved in style despite the spectre of the boycott protests over the nuclear testing at Mururoa Atoll. Only 11 Countries ventured to Tahiti, a blow to organisers but a blow which sent a strong message from the Region that it was time to cease Above Ground and below ground testing of atomic weapons in the Pacific.
Tahiti along with New Caledonia boast model community sport development infrastructures that are the mainstay of their respective achievements in sport. This was clearly on display for all to see in 1995.
New Caledonia dominated the other countries to re-establish their mantle as the premier sporting country in the South Pacific. The disappointment of 1991 behind them the chant of "Caledonie" dominated the various venues as they reached their highest tally of 82 gold medals. New Caledonia were competitive in athletics and swimming but grabbed most of their gold medals from sports like karate, taekwondo and table-tennis. Tahiti as hosts finished a competitive second on 76 gold medals with Fiji a distant third on 32 ahead of PNG on total medals. Wallis and Futuna had their best ever games to finish in fifth place. The closing ceremonies reaffirmed the spirit of the games as being reflective of the friendly and hospitable Pacific.
1995: Papeete, Tahiti
Country
|
Gold
|
Silver
|
Bronze
|
Total
|
New Caledonia
|
82
|
57
|
43
|
182
|
Tahiti
|
76
|
76
|
45
|
197
|
Fiji
|
32
|
44
|
64
|
140
|
PNG
|
32
|
29
|
40
|
101
|
Wallis & Futuna
|
8
|
3
|
8
|
19
|
Guam
|
7
|
10
|
24
|
41
|
Tonga
|
6
|
6
|
14
|
26
|
Cook Islands
|
4
|
2
|
6
|
12
|
Solomon Islands
|
3
|
8
|
13
|
24
|
Vanuatu
|
3
|
6
|
10
|
19
|
Northern Marias.
|
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
Norfolk Islands
|
|
|
1
|
1
|
Total
|
253
|
242
|
270
|
785
|
Last Modified on 22/11/2007 12:16