David Liti, one of Team New Zealand’s few Tongan athletes, is determined to bring home gold in the men’s weightlifting competition at the Paris Olympics. The 28-year-old, who was raised in South Auckland, proudly represents both Tonga and New Zealand at his second Olympic Games after debuting in Tokyo 2020.
“I think it’s important for anybody to represent who they are, their family, and their country,” Liti said in an interview with PMN NZ. “It doesn’t matter what I wear or what people see on me, I’m still Tongan, I’m still Kiwi. I represent both.”
Liti, one of the few Tongans competing in Paris, was thrilled to meet fellow Tongan athlete Feo’ofa’aki Epenisa, a boxer, in the Olympic Village. “I was just walking down from our New Zealand building and I said, ‘oh that’s the Tongan boxer’—and I greeted her in Tongan,” he recalled.
Liti, a Commonwealth Games gold (2018) and silver (2022) medalist, emphasized the strength and heart of Pacific Islanders in weightlifting. He hopes to inspire future generations to explore diverse career paths, including sports like weightlifting.
Liti will compete in the 102kg men’s weightlifting category on Saturday, 10 August, aiming to add an Olympic medal to his list of achievements.
