Tonga's Prime Minister has taken the credit for the country's historic medal haul at the just completed Pacific Games in Apia.
Photo: Vinnie Wylie/RNZ Pacific
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.
Samoa volunteered to host the Games only 18 months before it was held.