David Liti aims to ignite passion in young athletes at Mini Games

New Zealand weightlifting star, David Liti, is heading to the Pacific Mini-Games in Palau with a clear mission: to inspire the next generation of athletes.

Speaking on Pacific Mornings, Liti says that despite his international success at events like the Olympics and Commonwealth Games, he is motivated by the opportunity to encourage young athletes closer to home.

“When I show up to these competitions, all these little kids that are just starting out would see how far I've gone in this game of weightlifting, and it might spark a journey for them to be one of the greats in the future,” Liti says.

The Pacific Mini-Games hold special significance for Liti, as he finds these competitions to be uniquely culturally-oriented compared to other major international events.

“With the Pacific Games, what I have found is that it's a lot more culturally orientated than some of the other major competitions,” he says.

“I feel more at home because you see a lot of cultural stuff happening at the same time, as the competition.”

The games feature participants from countries and territories in Oceania, with 23 competitors expected from Australia, Norfolk Island and Tokelau.

Palau will oppose hosting 12 sports and 14 sports events, including compulsory sports: athletics, volleyball, and table tennis.

Optional sports include baseball (men only), softball (women only), and wrestling.

The 12th Pacific Mini Games - Palau 2025 will be held on June 29 to July 9, 2025 at Koror, Palau. Photo/Pacific Mini Games

The event was first launched in 1981 in Honiara and has been held every four years since then.

Liti shares that his preparations for the competition have been steady, saying, “You may have your up days and you may have your down days, but I'm excited for this competition.

Palau, located in the Micronesia region of the western Pacific Ocean, is made up of 340 islands. It is 1500km east of the Philippines and about 2000km north of Papua New Guinea. Palau has a population of 17,669, with residents mainly speaking Palauan or English.

Although Palau declared its independence from the United States in 1994, it remains in a Compact of Free Association (COFA) that provides economic assistance for health and education.

PMN Olympics Correspondent James Nokise speaking with New Zealand Tongan weightlifter David Liti.

“I've never been to Palau before, so I'm excited to see what the culture and the landscape are like,” Liti says.

He emphasised the importance of mini-games as a platform for emerging talent, mentioning Fiji's rising star, Nehemiah Elder. At just 16, Elder became the first-ever Fijian weightlifter to win gold at a world championship, achieving three gold medals at the 2025 IWF World Championships in Peru in the Men’s 89kg Youth Division.

“He's currently Fiji’s wonderboy… Snatching 150kg clean and jerking 185kg, which is crazy in the weightlifting world,” Liti says.

Looking ahead, Liti views the Palau Games as an essential stepping stone towards future goals, including the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the 2028 Olympics.

Nehemiah Elder began loving weightlifting at age 6, started serious training at 9, and prepared by training three times a week. Photo/On Times

Despite his many achievements, Liti remains humble and focused on the broader impact of his career.

“I've always told my coach, I don't like it when people put me on a pedestal and expect a lot of things from me, because I still want to be able to do normal things,” he says.

“I want to be able to walk around the gym and not have 50,000 people trying to start a conversation with me about the same exact questions.

“For me, it's about the future. It's about the kids. It's an important mission for me to really give those kids who don't have the space to be a better athlete or a better person.”