Pacific Games 2023 Boxing Preview: Full schedule and how to watch live Olympic qualifying action

Oceania's top boxing talent descends upon the Solomon Islands from 28 November to 2 December, with 13 Paris 2024 Olympic qualification spots available to secure.

5 minBy Olympics.com

Boxing

(Getty Images)

Boxing is one of two sports at the 2023 Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands where quotas for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 can be secured.

In fact, it will be the first time ever that the Pacific Games boxing tournament will serve as an Olympic qualifier.

The newly-built National Friendship Hall in Honiara, which can accommodate 1500 spectators, will host the tournament.

There will be six weight divisions for women and seven for men, with the winners of every category securing a berth for Paris 2024.

In our preview below we take all the key information for the event, including how to qualify for Paris 2024, a full schedule, and how to tune in to live action.

*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.

Click here to see the official Paris 2024 qualification system for each sport.

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Harry Garside and Caitlin Parker the headline acts

Australia’s Harry Garside headlines the men’s draw, and is the strong favourite at 63 kg. The Victorian won Olympic bronze at Tokyo 2020 in 2021, and the 60 kg title at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Garside’s compatriot in the super heavyweight division, Teremoana Samson Teremoana Junior, is also expected to put on a show in the Solomon Islands. The man with Cook Island roots stepped away from the professional ranks in December 2022 in order to focus on preparing for the 2024 Olympic Games. He cruised into the second round of the 2023 World Championships, where he lost to reigning Olympic and 2023 World champion Bakhodir Jalolov of Uzbekistan.

Keep an eye out for Samoa’s Ato Plodzicki-Faoagali in the heavyweight division, who is a reigning gold medallist from the 2019 Pacific Games and counts Joseph Parker - a New Zealand star in the professional ranks - as his mentor.

Arthur Ray Lavalou is likely Papua New Guinea’s best hope at winning a boxing medal, having won silver at the 2019 Pacific Games. The 92 kg pugilist took up boxing after watching Filipino legend Manny Pacquiao and always puts on a show with his aggressive style.

Harry Garside of Team Australia celebrates with his bronze medal during the victory ceremony for the Men's Light (57-63kg) Final on day sixteen of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games at Kokugikan Arena on August 08, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.

(Buda Mendes)

The last Fijian boxer to make the Olympic Games was Winston Hill in Rio 2016, but that could all change when Jone Davule steps into the ring. The light welterweight, who is also a policeman, won Pacific Games silver in 2019 and recorded a win at the World Championships in Uzbekistan earlier this year.

He may only be in his third year of boxing after switching from rugby, but Lautofa Ioapo is being touted as a potential winner in the welterweight category. The Samoan left a full-time job to chase his dream of qualifying for Paris 2024 and follow in the footsteps of his father, who competed in Pacific Games for American Samoa.

Finally, watch out for Caitlin Parker in the women's event. The Tokyo 2020 Olympian from Australia won 2023 World Championships silver at 75 kg, and is a two-time Commonwealth Games champion.

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Paris 2024 Olympic qualification spots

A total of 13 athletes (six women and seven men) will secure their National Olympic Committee an Olympic quota for Paris 2024 by winning their weight category at the Pacific Games 2023.

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.

19 Nov - 2 Dec

Pacific Games 2023 | Honiara - Solomon Islands

2023 Pacific Games boxing schedule

(All times are UTC +11)