The New Zealand Team is celebrating following winning 45 medals at the SOL2023 Pacific Games, including 10 gold medals.

Boxing athlete Wendell Stanley has led the New Zealand Team into the closing ceremony of the Solomon Islands 2023 Pacific Games as flagbearer, as the event draws to a close.

Wendell won silver in the men's 71kg division as the New Zealand team finished its campaign in Honiara.

“The Games have been unbelievable. To be named as Flagbearer for the Closing Ceremony is amazing," says Wendell.

"I wasn’t born in New Zealand but it’s adopted me from a young age. I’m grateful for the opportunity to wear this flag, and I’m very proud to fight for this flag."

Wendell Stanley led the New Zealand Team for the closing ceremony as flagbearer at the Pacific Games, where New Zealand won 45 medals. Photo: Supplied.

Forty-five athletes represented New Zealand at the Games, competing across archery, athletics, boxing, Para table tennis and weightlifting. 

The team performed exceptionally, winning a total of 45 medals including 10 gold. The medal tally by sport is:

Weightlifting: 7x Gold, 5x Silver, 9x Bronze
Archery: 1x Bronze
Table Tennis: 1x Silver
Athletics: 3x Gold, 6x Silver, 2x Bronze
Boxing: 5x Silver, 6x Bronze

There have been 5,000 athletes from 24 countries competing at the Games which were held betweenNovember 19 and December 2 in the Solomon Islands.

New Zealand Team Chef de Mission, Olympian, Nin Roberts commended the Solomon Islands' hosting and highlighted the Games' significance in fostering connections among Pacific nations.

"The connections formed among athletes from diverse sports have been inspiring. Beyond the medals, the shared experiences and cultural exchanges we've been part of have been really special and have showcased the essence of these Games," says Nin.

"I'm really proud of our athletes and our wider team. We've had a fantastic culture and everyone has represented New Zealand with pride and passion."

The remainder of the team will now travel back to New Zealand.

The archery and boxing competitions in Honiara are qualifying opportunities for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, while the weightlifting and athletics competitions are part of wider qualification opportunities for the Games.