World famous Tongan flagbearer opens Taekwondo club to develop future Olympians

Tongan Taekwondo duo are setting their sights on creating future Pacific Olympic medal winners.

Olympic Coach Master Paula Sitapa and three-time Olympian Pita Taufatofua heralded the new year with the opening of their martial arts school in Brisbane, River Rocks Taekwondo.

But their outreach isn’t just local, knowing how sporting facilities are so needed with the Pacific, they’re hoping athletes across the region will see their site as a training option.

Speaking on PMN Tonga, Taufatofua says his facility is about future-proofing Pacific athletic excellence.

“We remember when we were training up and we had nowhere to go other than to maybe fly across to Korea and we didn’t have much money at the time. It was very difficult. But Brisbane is one flight away from all of these Pacific Island countries.

“The goal, ultimately, for that side of the facility is in 2032 to bring back some medals for our countries. So we’ve got to develop the youth now.”

Developing future Pacific Olympic athletes. Photo/riverrockstaekwondo.com.au

They are offering low-cost martial art programmes designed by World Taekwondo certified masters that cover all aspects of the art, including forms, Olympic sparring, and self-defence.

Taufatofua says they want to help create accessibility for athletes in the region.

“We’re trying to make it very easy for national athletes from different countries in the Pacific to come and train…our doors are open for you. We don’t want to put up the barriers that we had when we were coming through around funds and that sort of thing.”

Gaining notoriety as the “shirtless flag-bearer” in Rio de Janeiro 2016, Taufatofua is the only Tongan athlete to have competed in consecutive Summer and Winter Olympics.

First, in Taekwondo in Rio, then at the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang he switched to a totally different discipline, in cross-country skiing, before returning in Tokyo 2020 in Taekwondo.

Taufatofua says while the dream is to build up athletic spaces in the Pacific, he hopes River Rocks is a starting point people will choose.

“‘River Rocks’ meaning the river, it’s soft and smooth, and the rocks are hard and strong, so we’ve mixed that together like yin and yang.

“We’re always looking for new athletes and give people the opportunity to come and train. Boost self-discipline, boost self-confidence, boost fitness and have a better lifestyle.”

Listen to the full interview with Pita Taufatofua on PMN Tonga below.