Yeshnil Karan was Team Fiji's Flag Bearer for the closing ceremony [Source: Team Fiji/Facebook]

For the first time in Pacific Games history, Team Fiji has finished sixth.

Since the Pacific Games started in 1963 in Suva, Fiji has been finishing in the top five.

Fiji won 21 gold, 30 silver and 40 bronze medals at the 2023 Games in Honiara, Solomon Islands which ended yesterday.

This means the team was 14 gold medals short compared to their last outing in Samoa four years ago where we were 5th with 35 gold,38 silver and 43 bronze.

In 2015 Fiji was fourth after bagging 33 gold, 45 silver and 37 bronze.

Our last medals of the final day in Honiara yesterday were three silvers from the 3×3 basketball and netball, and our mixed touch rugby team settling for bronze.

Team Fiji Ched de Mision Ajay Ballu says he told the athletes it doesn’t stop here in the Solomons because they have to keep on working hard.

“This young team will take us forward I mean next four years we need them to do the best and prepare well so that in the next four years we have more medals and this is how we do it, we bring the young ones and that’ our future”.

Weightlifter Taniela Rainibogi and long-distance champion Yeshnil Karan won three gold medals each for the team while Vaa golden girl Elenoa Vateitei had two.

Other individual gold medal winners were swimmers Kelera Mudunasoko and Hansel McCaig, para table tennis Mere Roden, Deborah Bulai in hammer throw, high jumper Rusiate Matai and boxer Jone Davule.

The team gold medals came from rugby 7s with the men’s and women’s dominating, men’s tennis doubles, men’s basketball and women’s table tennis para.

The 2027 Pacific Games will be held in Tahiti.

One group of Team Fiji athletes and officials left the Solomons this morning while others return this afternoon.