Eleven Pacific Island nations will be represented at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games scheduled to officially open on Friday (New Zealand time).

Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu have all sent teams to the event.

While majority of the athletes will be using the Glasgow Games to measure their growth in their respective sport, there are some who will be genuine medal contenders against the best in the Commonwealth.

There are 74 nations and territories represented at the this year's Commonwealth Games, which includes separate teams for the four home nations of the United Kingdom - England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

There are also various overseas territories, and debutants, with Togo and Gabon making their first appearances.

For the Pacific, there have been different hurdles as the respective countries worked on assembling their best for the Games.

Finance has always topped the list of challenges island teams faced, particularly with the change in hosting venue.

But that is now behind the teams as their focus shifts to participating and competing at the 23rd Commonwealth Games.

The event was originally planned to be held in Victoria, Australia, but moved to Glasgow following the initial hosts' inability to get their hosting in order.

Victoria cancelled hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games due to massive cost blowouts, following increase in projected costs from the originally budgeted AU$2.6 billion to around AU$7 billion.

The increased budget came from the decentralised model that was to be used, which would see the Games' events hosted across four regional hubs in Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and Gippsland.

The Victoria State government withdrew their hosting rights and paid AU$380 million in compensation to the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) and Commonwealth Games Australia (CGA).

Glasgow put its hand up and agreed to host, but with a reduced competition format, settling for only 10 sports from the usual 20, as was the case at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

So, to Glasgow the Pacific island teams have flown, with a lot more to pay for the exercise.

Majority of Pacific Island contingents have arrived at the host city.

It includes Team Vanuatu members, who were unable to leave Port Vila on Monday, but are now on their way to Glasgow because of flight cancellations.

Team Vanuatu.

VASANOC (Vanuatu Association of Sports And National Olympic Committee)

With the popular sevens rugby competition not part of the event this time around, Pacific Island teams would be banking on their weightlifters, bowlers and judokas to lead their campaigns for medals.

Weightlifting will see 10 of the 11 Pacific Island nations competing and should be the sport that will win the most medals for them.

Members of Team Samoa.

Team Samoa

Samoa

Sefulu Seuao 16, who nailed 110kg block snatch in the 77kg category during training in Apia is one medal prospect. Her lift surpassed the world youth record, which is 106kg.

Another prospect is Seini Stowers, 18, who totalled a massive 147kg Clean and Jerk in the 77kg category as well.

There are also John Tafi, Jack Opeloge and Sanele Mao, who have been creating their own records during preparations in Apia.

Samoa Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (SASNOC) president Tuaopepe Asiata Jerry Wallwork said at the Team Samoa farewell last week they will be competing in five sports, with an aim to improve Samoa's medal standing globally.

Samoa will be represented in athletics, boxing, judo, swimming and weightlifting.

Wallwork said Samoa currently sits in 23rd position in the Commonwealth Games Federation global ranking out of 70-plus Commonwealth Games Associations.

He is banking on the weightlifters and swimming sensation Paige Schendelaar-Kemp, to lead their medal charge.

Team PNG athletics and weightlifting for the Commonwealth Games.

PNGNOC

Papua New Guinea

Team Papua New Guinea have a number of medal prospects also in their ranks.

Weightlifting sisters Thelma and Loa Dika Toua have been impressive in competitions they have competed at over the last four years.

In athletics the quartet of Timothy Tuna, Leroy Kamau, Johnny Bai and Pais Wisil could spring surprised in the men's 100 and 200 metres.

Speaking at the team's farewell in Port Moresby over the weekend, the PNG Olympic Committee president Emma Waiwai OL said they are confident their athletes would perform to their best.

"The Commonwealth Games are more than a contest of strength and skill," she told Team PNG.

"They are a celebration of unity, friendship, and shared purpose among nations. Your presence in Glasgow embodies the spirit of Papua New Guinea - resilient, humble, and courageous."

She reminded the athletes that they were going to be competing, standing "shoulder to shoulder with the very best in the Commonwealth - world champions, Olympians, athletes who have redefined what is possible in their sport".

Nauru

Weightlifting is Nauru's main sport at Glasgow.

Team Nauru has 31 medals to-date from the Commonwealth Games , including 10 gold, 11 silver and eight bronze.

They first competed at the 1990 Games and have been at seven so far.

Three Nauruans - Reanna Solomon, Marcus Stephen and Yukio Peter - have won gold medals at the Games.

Five others have also won medals in weightlifting in the past, these being Jalon Renos Doweiya, Ebonette Deigaeruk, Sheba Deireragea, Mary Diranga, Itte Detenamo, and Charisma Amoe-Tarrant.

Team Nauru lifters in the current contingent include Daraidun Canon and Hamray Temaki, as well as young lifters Johannes Adam and Margaret Bless-Harris.

The contingent also include an athletics team of six.

Fiji

Fiji has a 58-member delegation in Glasgow, including athletes and officials competing across eight sports - athletics, 3x3 basketball, bowls, boxing, judo, para-athletics, swimming, and weightlifting.

Swimmers David 'Tolu' Young and Kelera Mudunasoko as well as weightlifter Taniela Tuisuva Rainibogi are returning to the Games and are medal prospects for the team.

Majority of the contingent is already in Glasgow.

Swimmers Anahira McCutcheon and Young met have been training overseas before joining the team.

Team Fiji's Jane Wong-Niubalau confirmed the teams' arrival on Monday night, Scotland time, with the majority of the team in one 'village' while the swimming team is at another location closer to the competition venue.

Runner Yeshnil Karan is also in the running for a Games medal, along with judoka Gerard Takayawa, who has been based in Japan.

The Fiji boxing team have had a 10 day training camp in Ireland with coach Cam Todd and met up with the main team in Glasgow on Monday.

Their para athlete Sitiveni Konataci along with coach Fesaitu Mario, who have been based in the UK and Scotland for a GAPS Camp, will meet up with the main athletics team in Glasgow on Thursday night.

Other prospects

Tonga is the only Pacific Island team in netball.

The Tala have been in Wales where they played warm up matches and held training runs.

They have a tough road to the top but they can still finish in the top eight.

Tonga has a number of athletes who could spring surprises, including champion thrower 'Ata Ma'ama Tu'utafaiva.

She won gold in the women's Shot Put at the 2026 Polynesian Championships in Auckland earlier this year, and also claimed gold for Tonga in the at the 2025 Pacific Mini Games and the 2019 Pacific Games in Apia.

She has competed at previous Commonwealth Games and has the experience to finish off in the top medal challengers.

Tongan Tala netball team.

Tonga Netball

Niue will be banking on heavyweight boxer Duken Tutakitoa-Williams.

He won Niue's first-ever Commonwealth Games medal at the 2022 Games in Birmingham when he won bronze.

Kiribati's Ruben Katoatau, who is going to compete in his third Games, is also a top medal prospect in weightlifting.

His older brother David won the country's first and only Commonwealth Games medal at the 2014 Games, recording a gold medal lift in the men's 105 kilogram category.

Nauru, Samoa, Fiji and Papua New Guinea also have medal prospects in their lifting teams.

Fiji and Papua New Guinea are competing in 3x3 basketball and could also spring some upsets.

Both Australia and New Zealand are also represented at the Games.

They also include some Pasifika heritage athletes in their ranks.

Australia will feature Fijian native Eileen Cikamatana, who will compete in the women's 85kg weightlifting event.

New Zealand has weightlifters David Liti, Olivia Selemaia, Tui Alofa Patiolo and Litia Nacagilevu plus basketball rep Ella Fotu.

The 2026 Commonwealth Games will run from 24 July to 2 August.

Meanwhile, Australia, which will be a dominant powerhouse at the Games, has sent a delegation of 255 elite athletes, while New Zealand has sent its smallest team in more than four decades with 114 athletes.