Tonga stun hosts as Pacific athletes light up Commonwealth Games

Pacific athletes delivered another memorable day at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with Tonga pulling off one of the biggest upsets of the tournament.

While Fiji's teenage swimming star Anahira McCutcheon rewrote the record books twice in the space of a few hours, the biggest result came on the 3x3 basketball court where Tonga's women shocked hosts Scotland, 12-10, in front of their home crowd.

The win was inspired by sisters Mele and Leslia Finau whose combination proved too strong for the Scots.

Mele said sharing the court with her older sister made the victory even more special.

"She has been my role model for the past 20-something years...," Glasgow 2026 reported. "Sibling love can be a bit of tough love at times, but it definitely helps on the court."

In other 3x3 basketball women's results: New Zealand 22-16 Papua New Guinea (PNG), Singapore 21-8 PNG, Fiji 3-8 Uganda. Men: NZ 21-8 Tonga, England 21-3 Fiji, Tonga 12-10 PNG, Fiji 21-3 Jamaica.

Watch Tonga women take on Scotland in the 3x3 basketball match below.

In the pool, 16-year-old McCutcheon enjoyed a breakthrough day at the Tollcross International Swimming Centre.

She lowered Fiji's women's 50m butterfly national record in the morning heats, swimming 27.09 seconds to book her place in the semi-finals. Just hours later, she went even faster, stopping the clock at 27.01 seconds to break her own new record.

Fiji's David 'Tolu' Young qualified for the 50m freestyle after finishing third in his semifinal heat, swimming next to world record holder Cam McEvoy.

Watch Fiji's David Tolu Young in the men's 50m freestyle semifinal heat below.

It capped another impressive performance from Fiji's swim team. Their men's 4x100m freestyle relay team finished in 3:33.08 with Reuben Taylor producing a strong opening leg.

In other results, PNG swimmer Joanna Chen finished third in the women's 100m freestyle heat one (1:03.13 and fellow countrywoman Roxanne Kirarock ended the race in fifth place (1:06.13). PNG's Jhnayali Tokome-Garap finished third in heat three with Loane Russet from Vanuatu in seventh place.

In heat five, Sāmoa's Nafanua Hamilton finished third (58:53) and Fiji's Anahira McCutcheon (second) in 55.78. In heat eight, Vanuatu's Olivia Nel finished in third (54.81) and Caitlin de Lange (sixth) in 55.74 and both qualified for the next round.

PNG's Thomas Chen won heat one of the men's 50m breastroke in 30.43 while Vanuatu's Robsen Dick finished seventh (36.93) in his heat. Fiji's Don Younger (5th in 29.03) in the heats and Samuela Yalimaiwai (5th) 28.11 in his heat.

Vanuatu Michael Houlie qualified for the next round after winning his heat in 26.53 while fellow countryman Chris Smith qualified in second place (27.17) in his heat.

In the women's 200m breaststroke heat, Sāmoa's Paige Schendelaar-Kemp finished 8th in 1:04.94. Christian Sadie (Vanuatu) finished 7th in the men's 100m breaststroke in 1:15.32. Cook Islands' Lanihei Connolly finished seventh in the women's 100m breastroke semi-final (1:10.39).

The Tonga Tala take on defending champions Australia during their historic Commonwealth Games debut in Glasgow. Photo/Tonga Sports Association & National Olympic Committee

McCutcheon (Fiji) has qualified for the women's 100m freestyle semi-finals. Samuel Yalimaiwai (Fiji) is through to the men's 50m breaststroke semis.

Another landmark moment came on the netball court where the Tonga Tala made their Commonwealth Games debut against defending champions Australia.

Although the Diamonds claimed the win, 99-38, the match marked an important milestone for the Tongans. Earlier, New Zealand's Silver Ferns beat Scotland 77-44 and Australia defeated England 66-47. Tonga will next face South Africa while the Silver Ferns take on Jamaica.

On the lawn bowls greens, Fiji women's pairs defeated Kenya 1.5-0.5, Malaysia beat Cook Islands 2-0, Niue lost to Zambia 0.5-1.5, Tonga drew with Malta 1-1, Niue 0-2 Australia, .

In the men's singles, Cook Islands' Royden Aperau beat Jason Greenslade of Guernsey, Aperau later lost to Australia's Aaron Wilson 2-0, Tonga's Liam Hill drew with South Africa's Wayne Rittmuller, Niue's Frederrick Tafatu 0-2 Mitchell Graham (Norfolk).

In upcoming matches, Fiji's Rajnesh Prasad faces Pakistan's Mohammed Ayub Qureshi in the men's singles event while the Fiji women's pairs take on NZ, Cook Islands face Jersey, Norfolk Island plays Falkland Islands, Tonga vs Namibia and Niue vs Isle of Man.

Cook Islands bowlers Royden Aperau, Teokotai Jim and Vasie Ngatoko-Poila continued their Commonwealth Games campaign in Glasgow, keeping the country's hopes alive as sectional play progressed in the lawn bowls competition. Photo/Cook Islands National Olympic Committee

Pacific boxers have also made an encouraging start in Glasgow.

Tonga's Josh Tonga, the country's only boxer at the Games, booked his place in the men's 80kg round of 16 with a dominant unanimous points victory over Trinidad and Tobago's Jeremiah Thomas.

The New Zealand-based fighter controlled the bout from start to finish, earning a 5-0 decision from all five judges.

Niue's De Niro Pao and Nauru's Marvelous-Marvin Canon may have exited in the opening round but both earned praise for fearless performances. Pao pushed Lesotho's Pooana Kohahli all the way before narrowly losing on points in the men's 65kg division.

Canon came close to a major upset after knocking down Mauritius' Fabrice Valeria in the second round of their men's 55kg contest but was edged out in a split decision after a spirited display.

In the men's 55kg division, Kiribati's Eriu Temakau lost to Amadu Mohammed of Ghana while PNG's Bid Michael Inoino lost to Md Rakiba Hossain (Bangladesh).

Tonga boxer Josh Tonga, left, secured a unanimous points victory over Trinidad and Tobago's Jeremiah Thomas in the men's 80kg division at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. The New Zealand-based Tongan is the sole boxer representing his country at the Games and has advanced to the round of 16. Photo/Tonga Sports Association & Olympic Committee

In the 60kg division, Niue's Phoenix Gataua lost to Botswana's Treaure Moremi (5-0), Fiji's Jone Davule lost to Pakistan's Qudrat Ullah, Vanuatu's Max Makana lost to Sri Lanka's Ravindu Jayantha. In the 65kg, PNG's James Paul lost to Ziggy Agathe (Mauritius).

In the 80kg, Solomon Islands' Lio Dicks lost to Jade Micock of Seychelles, Niue's Kalani Anitelea-Launiu lost to Uganda's Alfred Ojok, Sāmoa's Dee Ioapo lost to Daniel Pitt of Wales.

Upcoming bouts: Sāmoa's Danielle Domonique Holland takes on Marie Marine Gabriel (Mauritius) in the women's 54kg division while Fiji's Jasmine Daunakamakama faces Adelaide Dede Djabatey (Ghana) in the 57kg.

In weightlifting, PNG's Kevau Baru finished sixth in the men's 60kg final, lifting 225kg while Nauru's Johannes Adam and Kiribati's Reinataake Takenteiti were unplaced.

In the women's 48kg division, Nauru's Jo-Beth Deireragea will feature in the final after finishing in third place with PNG's Thelma Mea Toua who finished 10th.

In the men's 65kg, Kiribati's Kaimauri Erati, Sāmoa's Felevaa Tafi, Fiji's Apakuki Tabuwaiwai Wakanibua and PNG's Morea Baru will compete.

Nauru weightlifter Jo-Beth Deireragea will carry her nation's hopes into the women's 48kg final at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games as she takes on the Commonwealth's best. Photo/Nauru National Olympic Committee

Sāmoa's weightlifting campaign continues on Friday morning (NZ time), when former Commonwealth Games champion Sanele Mao competes in the men's +110kg final.

The 40-year-old, who carried Sāmoa's flag at the opening ceremony, returns to the Games looking to add to the gold medal he won at the Gold Coast in 2018.

He missed Birmingham 2022 but arrives in Glasgow in strong form after winning gold at the recent Oceania Weightlifting Championships and setting a personal best clean and jerk of 241kg.

"I'm feeling good and I'm ready for the Commonwealth Games competition," Mao, who will contest the men's +110kg division, told journalists.

"The team is really strong and I'm ready to compete. I will try my best in this big competition. I'm so happy and I'm going to try my best."

Mao will also help lead a new generation of Sāmoan lifters, including 18-year-old Seine Stowers, who has already broken three youth world records.

Sāmoa's Sanele Mao, the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games weightlifting champion, returns to the competition in Glasgow looking to add another medal to his impressive career. Photo/Sāmoa Weightlifting Federation Inc.

Stowers won gold at the 2025 Commonwealth Youth Championships and follows in the footsteps of her older sister, Feagaiga Stowers, who claimed Commonwealth Games gold in 2018 and silver in 2022.

Mao said supporting the younger athletes was just as important as competing himself.

"My team pushes the new lifters to go out to strive for medals and we always do well in competitions,"Mao said. "I tell the young lifters to go and try your best and aim for the gold medal."

Pacific nations are already producing standout moments, with historic debuts, national records and upset victories showing the region can compete with some of the Commonwealth's biggest sporting nations.

The 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games ends on 3 August, NZ time. Seventy-four nations and territories will compete in 10 sports across 11 days of competition. For more details, visit www.glasgow2026.com.