Taputu claims 2025 Pacific Mini Games' first gold medal as Tahiti dominates opening day

Tahiti's Teimoana Taputu claimed the first gold medal at the 2025 Pacific Mini Games in Palau, taking out the V1 500 metres open men's final in va'a (outrigger) racing.

His win also opened the campaign for gold by the French territory, which ended day one with 18 medals and leading the medal tally.

Tahiti leads the tally with nine gold, seven silver and two bronze.

Taputu finished the V1 500 metres final in 2 minutes 15.59 seconds, ahead of Wallis and Futuna's Aymeruc Kanimoa, who claimed silver in 2 minutes 20.48 seconds.

Fijian Raymond Rusivakula claimed bronze for his country in a time of 2 minutes 25.30 seconds.

Tahiti dominated in the va'a and the swimming.

Marshall Islands and Northern Mariana Islands (NMI) were also on the medal tally with their own golden wins.

Samoa's Anne Cairns claimed her country's first gold medal with a winning performance in the women's V1 500 metres final.

She finished the race in 2 minutes 36.29 seconds, ahead of Fiji's Elenoa Vateitei and Tahiti's Ranitea Mamatu'i.

Rain caused the cancellation of the baseball competition, with clashes between Fiji and the Federated State of Micronesia plus the game between Palau and NMI, in the men's competition, both rained out.

Palau opens volleyball with win

Hosts Palau spiked off the women's volleyball competition on Monday morning, with a 3-1 win over Northern Marianas in the opening match of the day.

Palau lost the first set 17-25 but then rebounded to claim the following three sets, 25-17, 25-13 and 26-24.

In other matches in the volleyball competition, Tahiti defeated Nauru 3-0 while Fiji pipped American Samoa 3-2 in a tightly contested match.

Papua New Guinea started their campaign in the men's volleyball competition with a 3-0 win over Nauru while Tahiti proved too strong for Northern Marianas, with a 3-0 win as well.

The hosts Palau finished off day one with one gold and a silver, the gold coming from wrestler Raiden Hobson Decherong, who won the men's freestyle 50-kilogram final, beating Vincent Palacios of the Northern Marianas.

Nauru bronze

Nauru Wrestling praised the performances of two young wrestlers who claimed bronze medals in the competition.

Rising stars Isaiah Agege and Tyson Hedmon managed to claim medals in their debut appearances for their country.

"At just 19 and 15 years old, respectively, these young warriors stepped onto the international stage for the very first time and delivered performances well beyond their years," Nauru Wrestling said in a statement.

"Their success not only opened Nauru's medal tally on day one but also ignited a wave of pride back home and inspired the Pacific sporting community."

Samoa's gold

Samoa ended the first day of competition with three gold medals.

Va'a paddler Cairns was joined by wrestlers Shane Palemia and Ekitoa Tamati as the gold medallists for their country.

Palemia outpointed American Samoa's Latana Sopa 11-0 to win the gold in the male 86kg freestyle wrestling, while Tamati defeated American Samoa's Amo Loe in the male 97kg freestyle wrestling.

Softball clashes

Micronesian neighbours Palau and the Federated State of Micronesia battled in the opening clash in the females' catogory.

FSM claimed the win scoring 12-2.

Guam defeated the Marshall Islands 5-4 while Papua New Guinea pipped NMI 7-6.

In the last event of the day, FSM defeated Palau 3-0 in the men's volleyball competition.

Team PNG

The top medal winners from the previous Mini Games, in 2022 in Saipan, have started their campaign slowly.

Team Papua New Guinea claimed two silver medals on Monday.

Their first medal came from the sport of va'a.

The PNG va'a mixed team won silver in the V12 500m, finishing second behind Tahiti, while Fiji got the bronze medal.

PNG's va'a team finished the race in a time of 2 minutes and 0.67 seconds, while Tahiti stopped the clock at 1:58.16s, with Fiji in third at 2:02.61s.

Solo lifters opt out

As the rest of their Team Solomons contingent started competing at the Games, the country's weightlifting team announced they had pulled out of the event.

Island Sun in Honiara reported that Solomon Islands Weightlifting had no choice but to pull out of the Games at the last minute because they did not have enough funds to send a full team.

Efforts to try and get a statement from the weightlifting federation have been unsuccessful.

But Island Sun reported the federation stated all team members decided to forgo the Games when they were asked to reduce their travelling numbers last week.

Day two

The Games competition continues on Tuesday, with more medals at stake in swimming, Va'a and wrestling on day two.

Competition in archery and 3x3 basketball also begin on Tuesday.