Pacific / Tonga

Tonga Olympians prepared for long wait in NZ before flying home

09:35 am on 24 August 2021

A group of Tongan Olympic team members are locking down with family and friends in New Zealand while they wait for a change in Covid alert levels.

Malia Paseka and Pita Taufatofua carry the Tongan flag during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Opening Ceremony. Photo: Steve McArthur / www.photosport.nz

Six athletes and officials have completed 14 days in managed isolation in a Christchurch hotel, with one more due to be released from MIQ today.

The Secretary General of the Tonga Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (TASANOC), Takitoa Taumoepeau, was one of four released from quarantine on Sunday and is already adjusting to lockdown life.

"We are staying with our family, three of us," he said.

"One of the athletes, Ronald (Fotofili), he is staying with his family relatives here in Christchurch, so they picked him up yesterday from MIQ, but the three of us (Taumoepeau, Chef de Mission Amanaki Fakakovikaetau and athletics coach Siueni Filimone) are staying together in this place so we are more or less creating our own bubble here."

Tonga's Ronald Fotofili (2L) competing in the men's 100m heats during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Photo: AFP

Taekwondo athlete Malia Paseka and swim official Vila Day were the first of the Tongan delegation to be released from quarantine last Monday and had been planning to link up with the other four Tonga-based team members in Auckland ahead of their flight back to Nuku'alofa.

Paseka is staying with extended family in Auckland during the Level 4 lockdown, which came into force six days ago, but Day is stuck down in Queenstown, after her holiday plans went awry.

"She went for a short trip to Queenstown during everything was normal here but she was caught there with the change in the alert level," Taumoepeau explained.

"She said she is still waiting there...and once there (is an) ease in the level then she will go back, but that will depend on when our repatriation flight is put back in action."

TASANOC's Takitoa Taumoepeau. Photo: TASANOC Facebook

The Tonga-based team members were booked on an Air New Zealand flight home from Auckland to Nuku'alofa this week but Taumoepeau said they are now preparing themselves for an extended wait.

"They informed us it would be just a one week delay or postponement but I guess they were banking on the alert level going down," he said.

"But if the Auckland region seems to be not improving every day I think we may be looking here at a couple of weeks or even longer."

The group will also have to complete a further three weeks in managed isolation when they return to Tonga, Taumoepeau said.

"We will be doing another 21 days at home and we said to ourself 'it would be nice to get out of this 14 (in New Zealand) and catch the flight back home and do our 21 and that's it' but things change and we all know that anything can happen during the Covid.

Tonga's capital, Nuku'alofa Photo: RNZ Pacific

"Whatever rules or laws we put down it can change within a second so we accept it but we were not expecting it so we will have to tag along I guess."

There is some good news, however. Taekwondo coach Master Paula Sitapa is due out of quarantine today and will be able to reunite with his Auckland-based family after many months away from home.

After the best part of six weeks under strict Covid restrictions in both Tokyo and MIQ, Taumoepeau said, even under lockdown, they have appreciated the ability to leave the house to exercise, while everyone in their bubble is well accustomed to wearing a mask in public.

The Olympic Committee back home is in the process of wiring extra funds to the Tongan delegation in New Zealand so they can keep themselves fed and sheltered, but Taumoepeau joked the generosity of their extended family meant they would likely return home a few kilograms heavier.

"We have relatives and family here - they keep bringing food and I keep telling them don't bring any more food or we will be tired of eating (laughing)."