By Lorraine Genia – EM TV Sports, Port Moresby
President of the Tonga Amateur Sports Association National Organizing Committee (TASANOC), Lady Robyn Tu’ivakano told Matangi Tonga Online, that the preparations for Tonga are moving ahead for the Pacific Games.
“We have submitted our numerical entries for this year’s games, which number around 200 plus participants from Tonga in 18 sports.”
Since the year 2003, Tonga has won a total of 67 medals.
In 2011, Tonga placed 7th, winning 20 medals, 110 medals behind Papua New Guinea who placed third.
Tonga’s strength comes for rugby union being the national sport in Tonga, while judo, surfing, volleyball and cricket have developed in recent years.
While Judo is a well-established sport in Tonga, President of the Oceania Judo Union, Lennie Niit confirmed, Judo is still a voluntary sport in the Pacific Games and although PNG opted for other sports for various reasons, Judo will become a mandatory sport in the Games from 2019 onwards.
The 2019 Pacific Games will be hosted in Tonga.
