A colourful parade of floats, joined by Tonga’s famous Olympic flag bearer, Pita Taufatofua, and fellow Olympian Lusi Tatafu, along with the Tonga Police Brass Band, businesses, and sporting associations, went through central Nuku’alofa to mark the 2016 Olympic Day on Saturday 17 September. Photos by Eleanor Gee and Caroline Manu-Moli.
You are here
Results for Rio Olympics
Monday 19 September 2016
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Premium content
Tuesday 13 September 2016
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga’s Olympic flag bearer, 32-year-old Pita Taufatofua, is in Tonga this week to say thank you for the opportunity to represent Tonga in Taekwondo at the Rio Olympics. After arriving with his coach, Paula Sitapa, yesterday he went straight to work spending a few hours at Digicel Square in the afternoon meeting fans, signing autographs and taking photos. Photos by Caroline Manu-Moli.
Premium content
Monday 5 September 2016
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Tonga’s first female Olympic swimmer, Irene Prescott, counts her experience in Rio as invaluable saying “it was an extreme challenge and nerve racking to race with the best swimmers in the world”. The experience has inspired her to continue on her journey of improving her swimming technique and to compete in future world competitions.
Premium content
Tuesday 16 August 2016
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Waving national flags in support of Tonga's Team at the Rio 2016 Olympics, Tongan supporters and sponsors organised a colourful float parade through central Nuku’alofa today, Tuesday 16 August - complete with dark, muscular men with oiled bodies. Photos by Linny Folau and Peter Poulsen.
Premium content
Wednesday 10 August 2016
1 comment
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Brazilians have fallen in love with Pita Taufatofua ever since he made his entrance bare chested and glistening with oil at the Rio Olympics opening ceremony as Tonga’s flag bearer last Friday night (Brazilian time). His fans are so smitten with the good looking 32 year old that a facebook page set up in Rio inviting Brazilians to travel to Tonga after the Olympics in support of Pita has gained over 22k followers, the majority women.
Premium content
Wednesday 10 August 2016
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga's recurve archer, Karoline Lusitania Tatafu, was matched against #2 ranked Korean archer Hyejin Chang, this morning in the Women's Individual 1 /32 Eliminations at the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics. Lusi shot nine arrows scoring 61 to Chang's 82, with Chang reaching the required six match points after three sets to end the match.
Premium content
Tuesday 9 August 2016
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
From running barefoot on a grass field at school sports competitions in Tonga to running on the track at the Rio Olympics, Taina Halasima is living the dream. Only 18 years old, Taina is happy and excited to compete in the 100m sprints against the best in the world in Rio.
Premium content
Tuesday 9 August 2016
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga’s recurve archer Hans Arne Jensen (18) gave a creditable performance this morning (Tonga time) when he was matched against a top-ranked archer, Sjef Van Den Berg (21) of the Netherlands in the Men’s Individual 70m archery contest at the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics. Jensen challenged Van Den Berg in five rounds of close contest with 129 match points to Van den Berg’s 133.
Premium content
Friday 5 August 2016
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Naturally gifted runner, Siueni Filimone (21), loved music growing up but when his teachers saw his talent on the track, he was chosen year after year to represent his primary and secondary schools at interschool sporting competitions eventually winning his way to representing Tonga at international events and now at Rio Olympics.
Premium content
Friday 5 August 2016
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Irene Prescott (22) looks at how far she has come to get to the Rio Olympics and sees her efforts not as sacrifice. “To me it is not really a sacrifice but a way of life and I hope to inspire all the young people in Tonga to choose a healthy lifestyle and strive to reach their personal goals,” she says.
Premium content
Wednesday 3 August 2016
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Amini Tuitavake Britteon Fonua (26) is no stranger to high-level competitive swimming and will represent Tonga at his second Olympic Games in Rio. He is set to compete in the 100m breaststroke heat on Sunday, 7 August 2016 (NZ time).
Premium content
Monday 1 August 2016
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tongan Olympian Karoline Lusitania Tatafu (18) aims to perform to the best of her ability and not let the atmosphere overwhelm her at the Rio Olympic that opens in four days time. Lusi hopes to achieve a personal best score and get through the first elimination round. Getting to the Olympics is no easy task and being self-funded meant Lusi's family has supported her and continues to support her providing 80% of costs so she can represent Tonga. She gave up her studies to train.
Premium content
Thursday 21 July 2016
1 comment
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Seven athletes will represent Tonga at the Rio Olympic Games, starting on 5 August, competing in the fields of Archery, Track, Swimming and Taekwondo.
Premium content
Friday 24 June 2016
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Former Wallabies winger, Cooper Vuna, was not able to inspire Tonga’s Sevens team at the Monaco Sevens last weekend, missing out on the last qualifying spot for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Premium content