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This year’s Commonwealth Games may have been scaled back somewhat but two North Otago athletes are still chomping at the bit to be involved.
Oamaru-based boxers siblings Tarona and Pasoni Taafaki will represent Tuvalu at the games in Glasgow.
Speaking to the Oamaru Mail before they departed, the pair were looking forward to the opportunity.
"This is my first major international event so I’m pretty keen," Tarona said.
Pasoni was "excited and grateful at the same time" to be competing.
They both take a great deal of pride in representing Tuvalu as one of the smallest nations competing at the games.
"We’re honoured to represent our country," Tarona said.
"It’s a small country but we get a chance to take it on the world stage so we can represent the people that don’t usually go to international events like this with pride."
"I’m looking to inspire our fellow Tuvaluan community," Pasoni said.
"I’d say we’re kind of like the underdogs going into this competition and I’m excited to prove what we’re made of.:
The pair have been training twice a day, six days a week in preparation.
"We’ve just been levelling up," Tarona said.
"I’m just excited to put all our training and hard work on the line and do our best," Pasoni said.
They, along with coach Badi Taafaki, left the country earlier this month and are now in camp in Ireland alongside other international boxers.
"I think there’s 20 or more countries competing at this training camp," Pasoni said.
“It’s good for us to climatise, get used to the weather over there before the big competition.
"It’s good to see and test the skills and see what we need to improve on and just eye up our opponents."
Tarona will fight at 75kg while Pasoni will fight at 70kg.
The Commonwealth Games begin next week.