Lone Tongan wrestler Keliki Kei returns with fire for Oceania meet

Tongan Keliki Kei is heading into the Oceania Wrestling Championships with more than just competition on his mind.

He is carrying his country, his faith, and a renewed sense of purpose.

The 28-year-old will be Tonga’s only representative at the competition in Sāmoa this weekend after team-mates Maikel and Rodney Latu were forced to withdraw.

It means Kei will compete solo but he is not stepping back from the challenge.

The Oceania Championships comes just a year after Kei stepped away from wrestling, unsure of his path and struggling with his identity.

Speaking on Pacific Huddle, he opened up about that time away from the sport. “I took a break from wrestling last year and I didn’t know where to go. I just thought about it as if God takes the talent away from me tomorrow, what would I have?

Keliki Kei of Tonga at the Southeast Asian Championships. Photo/Facebook

“I let it go and came around this year and the fire is burning again. Something that I’m trying to learn is just have fun, I’m just learning to love the sport again.”

Now that fire is driving his return. In a recent social media post, Kei described the journey back as “mentally draining” but said he is in a strong place.

“Spiritually I’m on a high right now, just letting God carry me through this stage of life… despite all things that are happening outside of wrestling, with life. I am really grateful for my parents, especially.”

Proudly representing his home villages of Kolomatu’a, Ha’atafu, and Ho’ofoa, Kei says wrestling has changed him, not just as an athlete but as a person.

“It’s changed my life, that’s all I can say, for the better… and it’s just the way it's drawn me back to God.

“It’s a sport where no one really understands or sees the hard work behind the scenes, possibly the most grittiest sport I’ve ever tried or competed in.”

That hard work sometimes goes unseen, with months of preparation going into just “six minutes in a match.”

Despite a short stint in the sport, Kei has already made his mark. He won a bronze medal at the 2024 Southeast Asian Championships in Thailand, and the Oceania Invitational.

Now, he returns to the Oceania stage hoping to build on Tonga’s recent success after the Latu brothers made history with gold medals in their weight divisions.

But this time, he will do it alone. The competition is also a stepping stone towards bigger . Kei has set his sights on the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

“The Olympics has been buzzing in my mind for the last couple of years,” he said. “It is somewhere I want to go and somewhere I want to reach. Just thinking about it gives me the chills, to be honest.”

For Kei, the journey is about medals and purpose. He will take to the mat in Greco-Roman style on Friday and freestyle on Saturday.

The Oceania Championships will be held at Tuanaimato Gym in Vaitele, with more than 10 teams competing. The event wraps on Sunday with beach wrestling at Maninoa Beach.

For Kei, it is another step forward and a chance to show how far he has come.