Tonga concludes Palau Pacific Mini Games with 16 medals and a 16th-place finish overall.
Tonga’s campaign at the Pacific Mini Games in Koror, Palau, wrapped up on 9 July with a haul of 16 medals—three gold, seven silver and six bronze—placing the kingdom 16th on the final medal table.
The standout performer was archer Hans Arne Jensen, who clinched two golds in recurve events (Double 720 Round 70m and Match Play on 1 and 3 July). He was joined by Ata Maama Tuutafaiva, who threw 14.76 metres in the women’s shot put on 8 July to secure Tonga’s third gold.
Archery continued to perform well with silver medals from Luisa Pongi and Victory Pekipaki in compound 720 rounds (1 July), along with further silver from same duo in match play on 3 July. The mixed recurve team also earned silver that day. Bronze went to Ana Fifita, Esela Mounga and archery teammates in compound events.
In athletics, Manatu Hafoka claimed two bronze (heptathlon and 100m hurdles), while Ofa He Lotu Matahina Tuifua earned bronze in the 400m hurdles on 8 July. Luani Moeakiola won silver in men’s wheelchair table tennis singles (4 July), and the women’s 3×3 basketball team added silver on 9 July.
TASANOC lauded the archery squad’s “remarkable run” and Tu’utafaiva’s shot put triumph, saying the results had made “the Kingdom proud”.
The Palau Games closed last night, with the torch now passed to the Cook Islands, hosts for the 2029 Mini Games.
