Tonga Gold medals

This year's team returned home with the most medals ever won by Tonga at the event, 29 medals including nine golds.

After congratulating the team, a statement from Prime Minister 'Akilisi Pohiva pointed to an earlier claim in Parliament that Tonga would achieve the highest number of Gold Medals because of government reforms around sports organisation and management.

The Prime Minister's statement came with the backdrop of a pending law suit against the Government by the Pacific Games Council for damages as a result of their belated cancellation of the event hosting.

He caused the biggest upset after beating 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medalist David Liti from New Zealand and silver medalist Lauititi Lui (Samoa) to win two golds for Tonga in the highest division (Over 109kg) of the weightlifting competition.

The 25-year-old won Gold in the Clean and Jerk category and the Overall category, and a Bronze medal in the Snatch category.

 Tuitupou and fellow underdog Malachi Fa'amausilifala (Samoa) took full advantage of failed lift attempts by the favourites David Liti and Lauititi Lui.