The Tuvalu Weightlifting Federation (TWF) is the organisation recognised by the

International Weightlifting Federation The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), headquartered in Lausanne, is the international governing body for the sport of Olympic weightlifting. The IWF was founded in 1905, and has 192 Member Federations. The IWF President is Mohammed H ...

as the

weightlifting Weightlifting generally refers to activities in which people lift weights, often in the form of dumbbells or barbells. People lift various kinds of weights for a variety of different reasons. These may include various types of competition; promo ...

federation of

Tuvalu Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-nor ...

History

The Tuvalu Weightlifting Federation (TWF) staged its first national competition on 2 July 2013 as part of the Tuvalu Games. The

Tuvalu Athletics Association The Tuvalu Athletics Association (TAA) is the governing body for the sport of athletics in the Tuvalu. History A combined Gilbert and Ellice Islands team participated already at the 1963, 1966, and 1971 South Pacific Games. An athlete f ...

(TAA) allowed the TWF to organized the weightlifting competition, although the event was not sanctioned by the

(IWF). The competition involved 6 females and 18 males. The formation of the TWF follows the success of Tuvaluan weightlifters at international competitions.

Logona Esau Logona Esau (born 2 March 1987 on Nukufetau) is a Tuvaluan weightlifter. Biography He was the first athlete from Tuvalu to win a medal at an international competition, when he took bronze in the 62 kg combined event at the 2005 South Paci ...

was the first athlete from Tuvalu to win a medal at an international competition, when he took bronze at the 2005 South Pacific Mini Games in the 62 kg male division, In 2007, he won a silver medal in the men's 69 kg clean and jerk at the

Pacific Games The Pacific Games (French: Jeux du Pacifique), is a continental multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from Oceania. The inaugural Games took place in 1963 in Suva, Fiji, and most recently in 2019 in Apia, Samoa. The Games wer ...

, lifting 141 kg. Esau also represented

Tuvalu at the 2006 Commonwealth Games Tuvalu was represented at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne by a 5-member strong contingent comprising 4 sportspersons and 1 official. Tuvalu entered competitors in shooting, table tennis and weightlifting. 2006 marked Tuvalu's third parti ...

and also represented

Tuvalu at the 2008 Summer Olympics Tuvalu competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, from 8 to 24 August 2008. This was the nation's first ever appearance in an Olympic Game. The delegation included two track and field athletes and one weightlifter. Okilani Tinilau ...

. Ioane Haumili and Tuau Lapua Lapua represented Tuvalu at the

2010 Commonwealth Games The 2010 Commonwealth Games (Hindi: 2010 राष्ट्रमण्डल खेल), officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Delhi 2010, was an international multi-sport event that was held in Delhi, India, ...

. Ioane Haumili and

have trained at the Oceania Weightlifting Institute and they have assisted in the coaching of Tuvaluan weightlifters. Uluao Lauti, who is a former weightlifting representative of Tuvalu, has also assisted during training. Lauti had participated in the Oceania Regional Coaching Workshop in 2003, and is recognized as a Commonwealth international referee. At the 2013 Pacific Mini Games, Tuau Lapua Lapua won Tuvalu's first gold medal in an international competition in the weightlifting 62 kg snatch, male division. (He also won bronze in the clean and jerk, and obtained the silver medal overall for the combined event.) In 2015 the TWF sent a team to the Commonwealth Youth Games. The TWF prepared a team for the

2015 Pacific Games The 2015 Pacific Games, also known as Port Moresby 2015 or POM 2015, was held in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, from 4 to 18 July 2015. It was the fifteenth staging of the Pacific Games as well as the third to be hosted in Port Moresby. More tha ...

held in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. Thirteen athletes qualified in weightlifting to represent

Tuvalu at the 2015 Pacific Games Tuvalu competed at the 2015 Pacific Games in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea from 4 to 18 July 2015. Nakibae Kitisane was the Chef de Mission. Tuvalu listed 101 competitors as of 4 July 2015. Four competitors qualified for two sports. Tuvalu was ra ...

and the Senior, Youth & Junior Oceania Weightlifting Championships 2015, which were held same time as the competition for weightlifting at the 2015 Pacific Games. Manuila Raobu participated in the men’s 62 kg weightlifting snatch event at the 2017 Pacific Mini Games, winning a bronze medal.

Notable Tuvaluan weightlifters

: 62 kg male division, combined event at the 2005 South Pacific Mini Games; 69 kg clean and jerk at the

, lifting 141 kg. * Tuau Lapua Lapua: 62 kg clean and jerk, male division, 62 kg Snatch, male division; and 62 kg combined event in weightlifting at the 2011 Pacific Games; and 62 kg; snatch; 62 kg clean and jerk; and for the combined event at the 2013 Pacific Mini Games.

Affiliations

(TAA) * Oceania Weightlifting Federation (OWF) * Commonwealth Weightlifting Federation (CWF) *

(IWF)

References

{{Sports governing bodies in Tuvalu

Weightlifting Weightlifting generally refers to activities in which people lift weights, often in the form of dumbbells or barbells. People lift various kinds of weights for a variety of different reasons. These may include various types of competition; promo ...

National members of the International Weightlifting Federation Sports organizations established in 2013 2013 establishments in Tuvalu