The 1995 games were affected by the decision by France to resume nuclear testing at Mururoa in French Polynesia later that year. Western Samoa, American Samoa, Nauru and Niue boycotted in protest.[1][3]
Participating countries
Twelve Pacific nations competed at the 1995 South Pacific Games:[2]
^* There were approximately 2,000 athletes at the 1995 SPG. The pro-independence Tavini Huiraatira party asked the athletes attending to protest against French nuclear testing by wearing coloured armbands and scarves.[1]
^† As reported in Pacific Islands Monthly, Tahiti had decided to host 22 sports but agreed to include four other events:[4] netball, powerlifting, surfing, and squash (although according to Squash Fiji, the sport was not contested in 1995 due to a lack of facilities).[5] Sailing,[6] and weightlifting,[7][8] gained inclusion. The other sports were:
^a New Caledonia won medals in karate, taekwondo and table-tennis as well as athletics and swimming.[2]
^b Body Building was on the South Pacific Games program for the first time in 1995.[10]
^c Boxing: Of the 12 weight divisions for men only, PNG won 5, Tahiti 3, Solomon Islands and Tonga 2 each.[11] Temo Kolitapa represented Fiji at the 1995 Games.[12]
^d A postage stamp depicting golf was issued by New Caledonia for the 1995 South Pacific Games.[13]
^e Fiji's women won the netball gold medal in Tahiti.[14]
^f Outrigger canoeing featured at all three South Pacific Games, from 1995 to 2003. The sport was introduced to the Mini Games in 2005.[15]
