# Tuvalu at the 2023 Pacific Games

Tuvalu participated in the 2023 Pacific Games in Honiara, Solomon Islands from 19 November to 2 December 2023.
Tuvalu made its first appearance at the 1979 South Pacific Games held in Suva, Fiji.
In the 2023 Pacific Games, team members won silver medals:
* Manuila Raobu in Weightlifting at the 2023 Pacific Games: 73 kg Snatch - 125 kg, 73 kg Clean & jerk - 152 kg, 73 kg Total - 277 kg.
* Maka Foster Ofati and Faolina Tepa Haleti in Tennis Men’s doubles.

## Competitors

The following is the list of number of competitors in the Games.
| Sport | Men | Women | Total |
| Athletics | 7 | 2 | 9 |
| Boxing | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Football | 23 | 0 | 23 |
| Powerlifting | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Rugby Union 7s | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Table tennis | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Tennis | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| Indoor Volleyball | 11 | 12 | 23 |
| Weightlifting | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Total | 65 | 16 | 81 |

## Athletics

Tuvalu entered a track and field team. The Men’s Men 4x100 metre relay team finished 6th.
The Tuvalu Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (TASNOC) organizes Tuvalu's participation in the Pacific Games.

### Key

* Note–Ranks given for track events are within the athlete's heat only
* Q = Qualified for the next round
* q = Qualified for the next round as a fastest loser or, in field events, by position without achieving the qualifying target
* qR = Qualified to the next round by referee judgement
* NR = National record
* N/A = Round not applicable for the event
* Bye = Athlete not required to compete in round

### Men

| Athlete | Event | Heat | Heat | Semifinal | Semifinal | Final | Final |
| Athlete | Event | Result | Rank | Result | Rank | Result | Rank |
| Karalo Maibuca | 100 m | Heat 4, time of 11.35 seconds | 6th | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Karalo Maibuca | 200 m | Heat 4, time of 23.31 seconds | 4th | Heat 2, time of 23.66 seconds | 7th | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Kanae Saloa Malua | 100 m | Heat 5, time of 11.40 seconds | 6th | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Kanae Saloa Malua | 200 m | Heat 4, time of 23.31 seconds | 4th | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Iosefa Tamoa | 100 m | Heat 1, time of 12.11 seconds | 6th | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Iosefa Tamoa | 200 m | Heat 3, time of 24.71 seconds | 5th | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Londoni Tiso | 200 m | Heat 2, time of 23.87 seconds | 6th | Heat 1, time of 24.12 seconds | 6th | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| John Fola O’Brien | 400 m | Heat 1, time of 55:04 seconds | 5th | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Karalo Maibuca, Kanae Saloa Malua, Londoni Tiso, Kaumoana Teaitala | 4x100 m relay | Heat 2, time of 43.56 seconds | 3rd | — | — | Time of 43.29 seconds | 6th |

### Women

| Athlete | Event | Heat | Heat | Semifinal | Semifinal | Final | Final |
| Athlete | Event | Result | Rank | Result | Rank | Result | Rank |
| Vaioleta Luka | 100 m | Heat 2, time of 13.30 seconds | 7th | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Temalini Manatoa | 100 m | Heat 3, time of 13.52 seconds | 7th | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |

### Men

| Athlete | Event | Final | Final |
| Athlete | Event | Distance | Position |
| Pisilele Matio | Javelin Throw 800g | 48.75 m | 12th |
| Londoni Tiso | Triple jump | 13.12 m | 6th |
source= SOL23

## Boxing

| Athlete | Event | Preliminary Round | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
| Athlete | Event | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Rank |
| Fiu Tui | Boxing LMW 70F/71M OQ-68-71 kg Male | Melman Halstead (NRU) L 0-5 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |

## Football

The Tuvalu national football team experience travel delays, so that they were forced to forfeit their first game against Papua New Guinea.

### Men’s football competition

| Team | Event | Preliminary round | Preliminary round | Playoff round | Playoff round | Rank | Rank |
| Team | Event | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Opposition Score |
| Tuvalu national football team | Men's football | Papua New Guinea Forfeited | Vanuatu L 0-6 | Tonga W 4-0 | Northern Mariana Islands W 4-1 | 9th |
source= SOL23

## Powerlifting
### Men

| Athlete | Event | Total | Rank |
| Molu Laupepa | Powerlifting Male 105 kg Male | 595.0 | 8th |

## Rugby Union Sevens

Tuvalu entered a rugby 7s team for the first time at the Pacific Games.

### Summary

| Team | Event | Pool round | Pool round | Pool round | Pool round | Quarter final | Playoff | Final | Final |
| Team | Event | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Rank | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Rank |
| Tuvalu Men's | Men's Pool B | Vanuatu L 17-19 | Samoa L 14-26 | — | | Nauru W 15-10 | Tahiti W 15-0 | Did not advance | Did not advance |

## Table tennis
### Men's Table Tennis Singles event

Malton Melton participated in the Men’s Singles event.
Tanielu Soa participated in the Singles Ambulant Male event.
Ioane Hawaii and Taupaka Uatea participated in the Singles Seated Male event.

#### Men’s Singles

| Athlete | Event | Group Round | Group Round | Group Round | Round 1 | Quarter Final | Semi Final | Final |
| Athlete | Event | Opposition Results | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result |
| Kalton Melton | Men’s Singles | Ocean Belrose (TAH) L 0-3 | Inoke Pauu Pepa (GUM) W 3-0 | Inoke Pauu Pepa (GUM) W 3-0 | Joshua Yee (FIJ) L 0-4 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |

#### Singles Ambulant Male

| Athlete | Event | Round 1 | Quarter Final | Semi Final | Final |
| Athlete | Event | Opposition Results | Opposition Result |
| Tanielu Soa | Singles Ambulant Male | Milo Toleafoa (TGA) W 3-1 | Alain Barbu (NCL) L 1-2 | Did not advance | Did not advance |

#### Singles Seated Male

| Athlete | Event | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Quarter Final | Semi Final | Final |
| Athlete | Event | Opposition Results | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result |
| Ioane Hawaii | Singles Seated Male | Roland Djaoua (NCL) W 3-1 | James Goulding (NZL) L 0-3 | — | Vincent Tehei (TAH) L 1-3 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Taupaka Uatea | Singles Seated Male | Shadrack Timothy (SOL) L 0-3 | Siaosi Vaka (TGA) L 0-3 | Iakoba Taubakoa (FIJ) L 0-3 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |

### Men's Table Tennis Para Team event

Tuvalu sent a team of 3 to the para table tennis competition: Ioane Hawaii, Tanielu Soa and Taupaka Uatea.

#### Men’s Para Table Tennis Team event

| Team | Event | Preliminary round | Preliminary round | Preliminary round | Preliminary round | Semifinals | Final / BM | Final / BM |
| Team | Event | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Rank | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Rank |
| Ioane Hawaii, Tanielu Soa, Taupaka Uatea | Men's Para team | Solomon Islands (SOL) L 1–4 | New Caledonia (NCL) W 3-2 | Tonga (TGA) W 3-2 | | French Polynesia (TAH) L 0-3 | Papua New Guinea (PNG) L 0-3 | 4th |
source= SOL23

## Tennis

Maka Foster Ofati and Faolina Tepa Haleti, and also Mathew Pese and Felo Feoto, participated in the men's doubles event.
Mathew Pese and Sanapu Tepa Tealei participated in the mixed doubles event.
Faolaina Tepa Haleti, Mathew Pese, Felo Feoto and Maka Foster Ofati participated in the men's singles event.

### Men’s Singles

| Athlete | Event | Round of 64 | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Quarter Final | Semi Final | Final |
| Athlete | Event | Opposition Results | Opposition Result | Opposition Result |
| Mathew Pese | Men’s singles | Sebastian Payne (COK) W 6-2, 6-2 | Daniel Llarenas (GUM) W 6-3, 6-4 | Heimanarii Lai San (TAH) L 6-7, 3-6 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Maka Foster Ofati | Men’s singles | Bye | Israel Mera (GUM) W 6-3, 6-2 | Camden Camacho (GUM) L 4-6, 5-7 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Faolaina Tepa Haleti | Men’s singles | Samuel Ramoni (SOL) L 6-1, 6-1 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Felo Feoto | Men’s singles | June Yu (NMI) L 6-1, 6-4 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |

### Women’s Singles

| Athlete | Event | Round of 64 | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Quarter Final | Semi Final | Final |
| Athlete | Event | Opposition Results | Opposition Result |
| Sanapu Tepa Tealei | Women’s Singles | — | Ela I Puleni Vakaukamea (TGA) L 6-2, 2-6, 3-6 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |

### Tennis Men’s Doubles

| Athlete | Event | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Quarter Final | Semi Final | Final | Rank |
| Athlete | Event | Opposition Results | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Rank |
| Maka Foster Ofati, Faolina Tepa Haleti | Men's Doubles | Bye | Guam W 6-4, 6-0 | French Polynesia W 3-6, 6-4, 10-8 | New Caledonia W 7-6, 4-6, 10-8 | Fiji L 5-7, 2-6 | |
| Mathew Pese, Felo Feoto | Men's Doubles | Vanuatu L 1-6, 5-7 | | | | |

### Mixed Doubles

| Athlete | Event | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Quarter Final | Semi Final | Final |
| Athlete | Event | Opposition Results | Opposition Result |
| Mathew Pese, Sanapu Tepa Tealei | Mixed Doubles | Cook Islands W 6-1, 6-4 | Papua New Guinea L 0-6, 2-6 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |

### Tennis Team Event

| Team | Event | Preliminary round | Preliminary round | Preliminary round | Preliminary round | Semifinals | Final | Final |
| Team | Event | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Rank |
| Maka Foster Ofati, Faolina Tepa Haleti | Men's Team Group D | New Caledonia L 0-3 | Nauru W 3-0 | Cook Islands W 2-0 | 2nd | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
source= SOL23 tournamentsoftware.com

## Volleyball
### Indoor

Men’s team: Suifita Malaelua Tepoga, Kato Paani Lopeta, Kilifi Keli, Ionatana Nemaia, Kanae Saloa Tauia Malua, Kaitu Kaitu, Usa Patikata, Lotogalue Napoe, Krizz Pasivao and Mitilelei Shalom Fiamalua.
Women’s team: Mesepele Lauti, Masetapu Freda Jr Resture, Kalite Penaia, Loliza Pasefika, Minime Kitiseni, Lilian Tusitala, Sepoima Tokaga, Savali Silafaga Teuina, Lafotua Grace Pelesipene Fiamalua, Meleala Timena, Aloiti Namoto and Sepola Ioelu.
| Athlete | Event | Preliminary round | Preliminary round | Preliminary round | Preliminary round | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final |
| Athlete | Event | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Opposition Score |
| Men’s team | Men's Pool B | Papua New Guinea L 0-3 | French Polynesia L 0-3 | Fiji L 1-3 | American Samoa L 1-3 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Women’s team | Women's Pool B | Samoa L 0-3 | Fiji L 0-3 | New Caledonia L 0-3 | — | French Polynesia L 0-3 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
source= SOL23

## Weightlifting

The Tuvalu Weightlifting Federation sent 3 weightlifters to the 2023 Games.

### Men's tournament

| Athlete | Event | Snatch | Rank | Clean & jerk | Rank | Total | Rank |
| Manuila Raobu | Men's 73 kg | 125 kg | | 152 kg | | 277 kg | |
| Kaueta Kausea | Men's 89 kg | 117 kg | 9th | 151 kg | 9th | 268 kg | 9th |

### Women's tournament

| Athlete | Event | Snatch | Rank | Clean & jerk | Rank | Total | Rank |
| Malia Timo | Women's 87 kg | 78 kg | 5th | 92 kg | 6th | 170 kg | 5th |
source= SOL23