Sprinter Tomasi Lolesio Ma‘asi has won Tonga’s first gold medal at the inaugural Special Olympics 2013 Asia Pacific Games held this week in Newcastle, Australia.

Ma’asi won the finals in the 400m run with 1 min 5.61 sec, while Pauli Mahe came in sixth in the same event with a time of 1min 20.30sec on the second day of the competition, 3 December.

Eight athletes from the Special Olympics Tonga Association (SOTA) are competing at the games from December 2-6 which brings together children and adults with intellectual disabilities from 32 nations across the Asia Pacific region.

Athletes are competing in nine sports from aquatics, athletics, badminton, basketball, bocce, cricket, football, table tennis and ten pin bowling.

The games will end with a closing ceremony on 7 December.

Sprinter Tomasi Lolesio Ma’asi, with Sponsors Digicel Tonga, before leaving Tonga