Tuvalu participates in the Pacific Games (formerly known as the South Pacific Games), which is a multi-sport event, with participation exclusively from countries around the South Pacific. It is held every four years. Telupe Iosefa received the first ever gold medal won by Tuvalu at the 2015 Pacific Games in the powerlifting 120 kg male division.
Contents
- History of participation by Tuvaluan athletes
- Pacific Games medals
- Participation of the Tuvalu national football team
- References
Tuvalu also participates in the Pacific Mini Games (previously the South Pacific Mini Games), which is a scaled-down version of the main Pacific Games that enable smaller nations to host events and compete against each other and which is similarly rotated on a four-year basis in the intervening years between the main games.
History of participation by Tuvaluan athletes
A combined Gilbert and Ellice Islands team participated at the 1963, 1966, and 1971 South Pacific Games. An athlete from Tuvalu (then Ellice Islands), namely Nelu Arenga, is at least documented for 1971.
Athletes from Tuvalu attended the 2003 South Pacific Games for the first time.
Logona Esau was the first athlete from Tuvalu to win a medal at an international competition, when he took bronze at the 2005 South Pacific Mini Games in Koror, Palau.
Tuvalu competed at the 2007 Pacific Games in Apia, Samoa. Tuvalu was ranked 18th equal at the Games, with 2 medals (0 gold - 1 silver - 1 bronze).
Tuvalu competed at the 2011 Pacific Games in Nouméa, New Caledonia. Tuvalu was ranked 17th at the Games, with 3 medals (0 gold - 2 silver - 1 bronze).
At the 2013 Pacific Mini Games in Mata-Utu, Wallis and Futuna, Tuau Lapua Lapua won Tuvalu's first ever gold medal in an international competition in the weightlifting 62 kilogram male snatch. (He also won bronze in the clean and jerk, and obtained the silver medal overall for the combined event.)
Tuvalu competed at the 2015 Pacific Games in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. Nakibae Kitisane was the Chef de Mission. Tuvalu was ranked 19th at the Games, with 4 medals (1 gold - 0 silver - 3 bronze). Telupe Iosefa received the first ever gold medal won by Tuvalu at the Pacific Games in the powerlifting 120 kg male division.
Pacific Games medals
Participation of the Tuvalu national football team
Tuvalu have appeared in the finals of the football competition at the Pacific Games on four occasions in 1979, 2003, 2007 and 2011. The football team did not participated in the 2015 Pacific Games.