Tongan athletes shine at Special Olympics [1]
Friday, December 6, 2013 - 17:38
Tonga's Gold Medalist, sprinter, Tomasi Lolesio Ma‘asi (right) with bronze medalist in the women's shotput, Tangikina Soakai . Newcastle, Australia. 5 December, 2013
Tonga has won six medals, including three gold medals won by sprinter Tomasi Ma’asi at the Special Olympics 2013 Asia Pacific Games that ended in Newcastle, Australia today.
In the final day of the competition, Tonga's medal tally stood at three gold, one silver and two bronze medals.
Ma'asi won three gold medals in the men's 100m, 200m and 400m events, while Tangikina Soakai won a silver medal in the women's shot-put and a bronze medal in the 100m run.
The third medalist was Pauli Ma'afu who won a bronze medal in the bocce event.
Vanessa Heleta, the Head of Tonga’s delegation said they were very proud of the athletes whose self-esteem had been boosted at the games. “Like what Australia's Governor-General Quentin Bryce said at the opening ceremony on 1 December, the Special Olympics is their time to shine and indeed they are shining,” she said.
Meanwhile, a celebratory march to welcome back the athletes will be held on Tuesday, 10 December in Nuku’alofa organized by a Special Olympics Committee.
HM’s Armed Forces and the Tonga Police bands are expected to join the march from the Tonga Red Cross Society office to the Central Digicel Christmas Tree square in the CBD, between 9:00 -10am.
The athletes are expected to arrive in Tonga on an early Flight VA183 on Tuesday.