Tarona Taafaki, 20, has won Tuvalu’s first Commonwealth Games medal, taking bronze in the women’s 75kg boxing division in Glasgow without winning a single fight.
Taafaki received a bye to the semi-finals because only five boxers entered the category. She lost her only bout to India’s Lovlina Borgohain, but reaching the semi-finals was enough to guarantee a podium place.
Her father, Badi Taafaki, who also serves as Tuvalu’s national boxing coach, told the Press Association the medal was historic. “For the people of Tuvalu, this medal means everything,” he said. “We’re one of the smallest nations in the world, so a medal like this is hugely significant. We have worked so hard to get here.”
Tuvalu is a South Pacific island south-east of Tonga with a population of around 11,000. The national team trains on the airport runway, moving aside when planes land and returning to the tarmac once they leave.
Tarona and her brother Pasoni, who lost his only bout in the 70kg division, are the oldest of eight children. All eight are boxers. The family is based in New Zealand to access better facilities.
Before the Games, Tarona told the Oamaru Mail she was determined to represent her community. “It’s a small country but we get a chance to take it on the world stage so we can represent the people that don’t usually go to international events like this with pride,” she said.
Badi linked the achievement to a wider concern. Climate experts predict that half of Tuvalu’s capital, Funafuti, could be submerged by 2050. “If we can win medals, more people around the world will recognise Tuvalu and begin to understand the challenges we face because of climate change,” he said.
