Sport Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...

is an important part 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 ...

an culture, which sporting culture is based on traditional games and athletic activities and the adoption of some of the major international sports of the modern era. The popular sports in Tuvalu include

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

futsal Futsal is a football-based game played on a hard court smaller than a football pitch, and mainly indoors. It has similarities to five-a-side football and indoor football. Futsal is played between two teams of five players each, one of whom is ...

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Sum ...

, handball,

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

and

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

. Tuvalu has sports organisations to support local competitions and the participation of Tuvalu in international competitions, including the Tuvalu Table Tennis Association,

Tuvalu National Football Association The Tuvalu Islands Football Association is the governing body of football in Tuvalu. The association is responsible for the Tuvalu national football team and the Tuvalu national futsal team. Football in Tuvalu is played at club and national ...

, Tuvalu Basketball Federation, Tuvalu Rugby Union,

Tuvalu Weightlifting Federation The Tuvalu Weightlifting Federation (TWF) is the organisation recognised by the International Weightlifting Federation as the weightlifting federation of Tuvalu. History The Tuvalu Weightlifting Federation (TWF) staged its first national competi ...

and

Tuvalu Powerlifting Federation The Tuvalu Powerlifting Federation (TPF) is the organisation recognised by the International Powerlifting Federation as the powerlifting federation of Tuvalu. History Tuvalu qualified 15 athletes in powerlifting to represent Tuvalu at the 2015 P ...

. Since 1979 Tuvalu has participated in 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 ...

and the Pacific Mini Games. Tuvalu first participated in the Commonwealth Games in 1998, at the

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a vari ...

in 2008, and at the

World Championships in Athletics The World Athletics Championships (until 2019 known as the World Championships in Athletics) are a biennial athletics competition organized by World Athletics (formerly IAAF, International Association of Athletics Federations). Alongside the Ol ...

in 2009. 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 ...

is the governing body for the sport of athletics in the

, and administers

Tuvaluan records in athletics The following are the national records in athletics in Tuvalu maintained by its national athletics federation: Tuvalu Athletics Association. Outdoor Key to tables: h = hand timing Men Women †: the result is not found in the complete res ...

Asenate Manoa Asenate Manoa (born 23 May 1992) is a Tuvaluan track and field athlete who represented Tuvalu at the 2008 Summer Olympics, at the 2009 World Championships & 2011 World Championships and at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Manoa represented Tuvalu in t ...

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 ...

, at the 2009 World Championships & 2011 World Championships and at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the woman's 100 metres sprint. Manoa represented Tuvalu in the sport of

powerlifting Powerlifting is a strength sport that consists of three attempts at maximal weight on three lifts: squat, bench press, and deadlift. As in the sport of Olympic weightlifting, it involves the athlete attempting a maximal weight single-lift effo ...

at the Pacific Games 2015 and won a bronze medal in the 72 kg Female category. She also participated in the women’s long jump event at the 2017 Pacific Mini Games. She was the first woman to represent Tuvalu at the Olympics. As Tuvalu is an archipelago of 9 islands, there are logistic complications in arranging sporting events on

Funafuti Funafuti is the capital of the island nation of Tuvalu. It has a population of 6,320 people (2017 census), and so it has more people than the rest of Tuvalu combined, with approximately 60% of the population. It consists of a narrow sweep of lan ...

, which is the capitol of Tuvalu. A major sporting event is the "Independence Day Sports Festival" held annually on Funafuti on 1 October. The most important sports event within the country is arguably the Tuvalu Games, which are held yearly since 2008 in April, when participants from each island travel on the inter-island passenger ship to Funafuti to participate in track and field events, table tennis, badminton and other games. Tinilau 03

Funafuti has the largest population of all the islands of Tuvalu, which includes large communities who have migrated from the outer islands. The football clubs in the Tuvalu A-Division all share the same home ground - Tuvalu Sports Ground – as it is the only football field in

. The football clubs are based on the communities of the 8 major islands of Tuvalu, with the rivalry between these 8 teams being maintained by each having a ‘home’ island. The football teams also provide an opportunity for talent in other sports to be identified, such as sprinters who are sent to represent Tuvalu in the 100 metres sprint events. The limited land available for sports facilities results in a limited number of sports available in which to participate, which are sports that can be organised on available open space or indoor venues, such as table tennis, badminton, weightlifting and powerlifting. Due to the limited open space on Funafuti, the runway of

Funafuti International Airport Funafuti International Airport is an airport in Funafuti, in the capital city of the island nation of Tuvalu. It is the sole international airport in Tuvalu. Fiji Airways (trading as Fiji Link) operates between Suva and Funafuti. Air Kiribati pr ...

is used as a common area for social games and sports activities, when not in use.

The traditional sports of Tuvalu

The traditional sports in the late 19th century were foot racing,

lance A lance is a spear designed to be used by a mounted warrior or cavalry soldier (lancer). In ancient and medieval warfare, it evolved into the leading weapon in cavalry charges, and was unsuited for throwing or for repeated thrusting, unlike s ...

throwing,

quarterstaff A quarterstaff (plural quarterstaffs or quarterstaves), also short staff or simply staff is a traditional European pole weapon, which was especially prominent in England during the Early Modern period. The term is generally accepted to refer t ...

fencing and

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

, although the Christian missionaries disapproved of these activities. A traditional sport played in Tuvalu is ''

kilikiti Kilikiti is one of several forms of the game of cricket. Originating in Samoa (English missionaries introduced their game of cricket in the early 19th century), it spread throughout Polynesia and can now be found around the world in areas with ...

'', which is similar to

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by str ...

. A popular sport specific to Tuvalu is '' Te ano'' (The ball), which is played with two round balls of diameter. ''Te ano'' is a traditional game that is similar to

, in which the two hard balls made from pandanus leaves are volleyed at great speed with the team members trying to stop the ball hitting the ground.

Football in Tuvalu

Tuvalu national football team (team picture, 2011)

Football in Tuvalu is played at club and national team level. The

Tuvalu national football team The Tuvalu national football team is the international football team of Tuvalu. Football in Tuvalu is played at the club and international level. The Tuvalu national team draws players from the Tuvalu A-Division and trains at the Tuvalu Sports ...

trains at the Tuvalu Sports Ground in

and competes in the

. The

is an associate member of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) and is seeking membership in FIFA. The Tuvalu national futsal team participates in the

Oceanian Futsal Championship The OFC Futsal Championship is the main national futsal competition of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) nations. It was first held in 1992. The competition was initially held every four years. From 2008 onwards, however, it became an annu ...

Tuvalu at the Pacific Games and the Pacific Mini Games

At the 2013 Pacific Mini Games,

Tuau Lapua Lapua Tuau Lapua Lapua (born 15 April 1991 in Nanumaga) is a 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 situa ...

won Tuvalu's first gold medal in an international competition in the weightlifting 62 kilogram male snatch. (He also won bronze in the clean and jerk, and obtained the silver medal overall for the combined event.) In 2015,

Telupe Iosefa Telupe Iosefa (born 1 November 1986, in Nukulaelae) is a Tuvaluan powerlifter. In 2015 Telupe Iosefa received the first ever gold medal won by Tuvalu at the Pacific Games in the powerlifting 120 kg male division. Career The Tuvalu Weightli ...

received the first gold medal won by Tuvalu at the

in the powerlifting 120 kg male division. Tuvaluans have won medals at the Pacific Games: *

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 ...

in Weightlifting at the

2007 Pacific Games The 2007 South Pacific Games were held in Apia, Samoa, from 25 August to 8 September 2007. The Games were the thirteenth to be held since the inception of the South Pacific Games in 1963, and included traditional multi-sport event disciplines, su ...

: 69 kg Clean & Jerk. * Iliala Fakatokaga in Boxing at the 2007 Pacific Games: Heavy-weight 91 kg division. *

in Weightlifting at the 2011 Pacific Games: 62 kg Clean & Jerk, 62 kg Snatch, 62 kg Total. *

in Powerlifting at the 2015 Pacific Games: 120 kg Male division. *

in Powerlifting at the 2015 Pacific Games: 72 kg Female division. * Teofoga Edueni Sonya Dabwido in Powerlifting at the 2015 Pacific Games: 84 kg Female division. * Harry Dave Eti Esela in Boxing at the 2015 Pacific Games: Heavy-weight 82–91 kg division. * Ioane Hawaii in Table tennis at the 2019 Pacific Games: Men's Seated Singles event. *

in Powerlifting at the 2019 Pacific Games: 120 kg male division. * Fiu Tui in

Boxing at the 2019 Pacific Games Boxing at the 2019 Pacific Games in Apia, Samoa was held on 15–19 July 2019. Participating nations Medal table Medalists Men Women References * Boxing at the Pacific Games References {{Events at the 2019 Pacific Games 2019 2019 P ...

: Men's Middle Weight 75 kg division.

Tuvalu at the Commonwealth Games

Tuvalu first participated in the

Commonwealth Games The Commonwealth Games, often referred to as the Friendly Games or simply the Comm Games, are a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and, with the exce ...

in 1998, when a weightlifter attended the games held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Two table tennis players attended the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England; Tuvalu entered competitors in shooting, table tennis and weightlifting at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia; three athletes participated in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, entering the discus, shot put and weightlifting events; and a team of 3 weightlifters and 2 table tennis players attended the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Tuvalu sent a team of four to the Gold Coast XXI Commonwealth Games in 2018, comprising Karalo Maibuca (men's 100 metres), Imo Fiamalua (men’s javelin throw), Kalton Melton and Tulimanu Vaea (men’s table tennis doubles). Tuvalu’s team at the Birmingham XXII Commonwealth Games consisted of Karalo Maibuca (men's 100 metres), Ampex Isaac and Saaga Malosa (men’s beach volleyball), Leatialii Afoa (lightweight boxing) and Fiu Tui (middleweight boxing).

Tuvalu at the Olympic Games

The

Tuvalu Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee The Tuvalu Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (TASNOC) is the Tuvaluan organization recognized as a National Olympic Committee (NOC) by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). In 2006, Tuvalu satisfied the IOC's criterion ...

(TASNOC) was recognised as a National Olympic Committee in July 2007. Tuvalu entered the Olympic Games for the first time at the

2008 Summer Games The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Na ...

in Beijing, China, and was represented by weightlifter and two athletes in the men's and women's 100 metres sprint. Both

Okilani Tinilau Okilani Tinilau (born 2 January 1989) is a Tuvaluan footballer and sprinter who represented Tuvalu at the 2008 Summer Olympics. As a footballer, Tinilau plays for F.C. Manu Laeva in the Tuvalu A-Division, also playing on the Tuvalu national foo ...

and

set national records in the 100 metres, with times of 11.48 and 14.05 respectively. They were both eliminated in the first heat.

finished 21st in the men's −69 kg competition. A team with athletes in the weightlifting and men's and women's 100 metres sprint also represented

Tuvalu at the 2012 Summer Olympics Tuvalu competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, which was held from 27 July to 12 August 2012. The country's participation at London marked its second appearance in the Summer Olympics since its debut at the 2008 Summer Olympics. The del ...

finished the highest of the Tuvaluan competitors with a 12th place finish in the Men's −62 kg event, finishing with a score of 243. Tavevele Noa and

were both eliminated in the first heats of the 100 metres, and Manoa set a national record in the women's 100 metres.

Etimoni Timuani Etimoni Timuani (born 14 October 1991 in Funafuti)Etimoni Timuani , Profile

was the sole representative of Tuvalu at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the 100m event. Karalo Maibuca and

Matie Stanley Matie Stanley (born 4 May 2003) is a Tuvaluan sprinter. She was selected to compete in the women's 100 metres at the 2020 Summer Games and was given the honour of being the flag bearer for her nation in the opening ceremony alongside Karalo Ma ...

represented Tuvalu at the

2020 Summer Olympics The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some preliminary events that began on 21 July. Tokyo was selected as the host city during the 1 ...

in the 100m events.

Tuvalu at the World Championships in Athletics

Tuvaluan athletes have also participated in the men's and women's

100 metres The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been conteste ...

sprint at the

from 2009. The sprinters have set Tuvaluan records and personal best times, but have not proceeded beyond the preliminary heats.

Notes

{{Oceania in topic, Sport in Tuvaluan culture Youth sport in Tuvalu Men's sport in Tuvalu Women's sport in Tuvalu Sport in Tuvalu by sport