2023 Pacific Games: Australia dominates first boxing finals day
Australian boxers, including Tokyo 2020 Olympian Caitlin Parker, won six out of seven finals on 30 November. They also secured a Paris 2024 Olympic quota.
Boxing
Australia dominated day one of the boxing finals at the 2023 Pacific Games, with six victories from seven in Olympic weight categories on Friday (1 December).
The winners of the seven Olympic weight category finals also secured an Olympic quota for Paris 2024.
First up at Friendship Hall in the Solomon Islands, Tiana Echegaray sealed a unanimous decision win over Tonga’s Hainite Kayla Tuitupou in the women’s 54 kg division.
Tyla McDonald had too much power and accuracy for Erin Walsh of New Zealand in the women’s 60 kg, taking a 4-1 win.
Marissa Williamson Pohlman could become the first Indigenous Australian woman to compete in boxing at the Olympic Games, after overcoming a knee injury to beat New Zealand’s Cara Wharerau in the women’s 66 kg final.
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Caitlin Parker is set to become the first Australian female boxer to compete at two Olympic Games, having beaten Deanne Read of New Zealand in the women’s 75 kg category.
Paris 2024 also represents a shot at redemption for the taekwondo black belt, who was defeated in the round-of-16 at Tokyo 2020.
"I'm so excited to show the world and show Australia what I'm capable of at the Paris Olympic Games - I can't wait. The countdown's on," she told Olypmics.com
Charlie Senior beat Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) Allan Oaike by unanimous decision in the men’s 57kg category, while Callum Peters put on an impressive display to beat Tongan Roman Viney by unanimous decision in the men’s 80 kg.
The boxers from Down Under missed out on a full house of wins after Adrian Paoletti went down to Tonga’s Ato Plodzicki-Faoagali in the men’s 92 kg final.
As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.
There were several other finals on 30 November in non-Olympic weight categories.
The first of those was PNG’s Goli Bali, who beat local fighter Luisa Eme Ngoni by unanimous decision in the women’s 48 kg final.
Bali’s compatriot, Kantie Paul Oaike, defeated another PNG boxer in Peto Turua Jr in the men’s 48 kg final, while Jamie Tumun Chang of PNG outclassed Marvin Canon of Nauru in the men’s 54 kg gold medal match, taking the tie by unanimous decision.
Fiji’s Jone Davule won a thrilling men’s 60 kg final against Solomon Islands’ Maximilian Makana by split decision, 3-2.
Another PNG boxer to taste victory was Petronella Nokenoke, who took the women’s 63 kg title with a 3-2 split decision victory over French Polynesian Flore Hani.
Sheila Yama defeated Leontine Kevin by unanimous decision in an all PNG women’s 70kg final.
There was more PNG glory as Kendu Steven beat Samoa’s Saliuafi Tuautu by unanimous decision in the men’s 75 kg, while Lranda Kidu recorded a unanimous win over French Caledonian Isma Motuku.