boxingWhy winning a medal without winning a fight means the world to Tuvalu boxerpublished at 22:07 BST
22:07 BST
Boxing – women’s 75kg
Image source, Getty Images
A boxer from Tuvalu has claimed her country’s first ever Commonwealth Games medal without winning a fight in Glasgow.
Tarona Taafaki, 20, lost her first fight in the women’s 75kg division to India’s Lovlina Borgohain on Friday, losing every round on all three of the judges’ cards.
Because there were only five entrants, Taafaki received a bye to the last four, meaning she was automatically guaranteed at least a bronze medal.
Her coach and father says the population of the tiny Pacific island nation – at 10 square miles the fourth smallest in the world – will celebrate the medal and use it to highlight a climate change emergency.
“For the people of Tuvalu, this medal means everything,” he said. “We’re one of the smallest nations in the world, so a medal like this is hugely significant.”
And he added: “If we can win medals, more people around the world will recognise Tuvalu and begin to understand the challenges we face because of climate change.
“It is very real for us. The coastal erosion is unbelievable, and the countdown is now measured in years, not decades.”