3 medals for Tonga on first day of Oceania Judo Champs [1]
Friday, April 28, 2017 - 22:09. Updated on Wednesday, May 3, 2017 - 17:36.
Tonga won a gold and two silver medals in the heavy-weight categories at the 2017 Oceania Judo Championships this afternoon at ‘Atele Indoor Stadium.
Ineti Felemi won her first gold medal when she fought against fellow Tongan Fugalaau Mafi in a tough match. Both women scored a point each early in the match but Felemi threw an "ippon" move to clinch the win.
17-year-old Felemi and 16-year-old Mafi were the only competitors in their +78kg weight category at the championships. Other women their age taking part in Judo in the Oceania region are lightweights. They will compete again tomorrow in the Juniors (under 21 age group).
In the men’s +100kg category, Finetuui Moala took on fellow Tongan Sailosi Fua in the preliminary round this morning with Moala taking out the match to make the finals.
Moala went up against a Samoan competitor but could not come away with the win, ending up with a silver medal.
The Cadets and Juniors will compete tomorrow ending the two day championship.
The unofficial medal tally todaywas:
- Australia – 8 Gold, 3 Silver, 2 Bronze
- New Zealand – 1 Gold, 3 Silver, 2 Bronze
- Tonga – 1 Gold, 2 Silver
- Samoa – 1 Gold
- New Caledonia – 2 Silver, 2 Bronze
- Solomon Islands – 1 Silver
- Fiji – 2 Bronze
Live streaming of the matches can be found at streamingsports [2] with viewers clicking in from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.
All four Tongan competitors will be looking to represent Tonga in Judo at the upcoming Pacific Mini Games held in Vanuatu in December.