The 13 athletes are part of a group of 40 Pacific Paralympic hopefuls supported by the Australian Government through PacificAus Sports, in partnership with the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) and the Oceania Paralympic Committee (OPC). This partnership develops sporting talent in the Pacific and brings Australia and Pacific Island nations together in the common pursuit of sporting excellence. 

These athletes will represent their families, communities, countries, and the Pacific as a whole, with pride - their achievements at the Paralympic Games will be celebrated across the region. The Paralympians represent Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, and for the first time, Kiribati. 

The Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Pat Conroy, said, "The Australian Government is proud to have supported athletes from across the Pacific in their preparations for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games." 

"To have the largest team of Pacific athletes competing at a Paralympic Games is a fantastic result and reflects the depth of sporting talent in the region - we wish them the best of luck and look forward to celebrating their achievements as one Pacific family," he added. 

Oceania Paralympic Committee President Paul Bird said, "We are extremely grateful for the Australian Government's support of our Pacific Paralympians through the PacificAus Sports programme.  This is vital for their preparation, training and most importantly the opportunity to be ranked and qualify for the Games. Our Pacific Paralympians look forward to representing the region at Paris 2024." 

PacificAus Sports is an Australian Government sports diplomacy initiative that develops pathways for Pacific teams and athletes to compete at elite level and access high performance coaching, with funding split equally between women and men. It partners with Australian sporting organisations across a range of Pacific sports (rugby league, rugby union, netball, football, AFL, cricket and Olympic/Paralympic sports).