NEW DELHI: About three per cent of Niue's entire population is currently in New Delhi. All of them are staying at the Commonwealth Games Village. "We are a small country," island nation Niue's chef-de-mission Alan Tano Puleosi told TOI on Sunday. "And we are a sporting one too."
Situated in the South Pacific Ocean, this island of about 1200 inhabitants is not as small as it sounds. With an area of 269 sq km, it is bigger than all the 15 Cook Islands put together. It is the tiny fun-loving population that makes this island so interesting. Forty-three of them are here, which includes 37 athletes. It forms a substantial chunk of their colourful population.
"We play a lot of sport," Puleosi, who is the country's weightlifting association's president and a former rugby player, said.
"We will be competing in athletics, weightlifting, shooting, lawn bowls, wrestling and boxing," Puleosi said. He expects a medal from weightlifter Narita Viliamu, in the women's 75kg category. Young Narita was the silver medallist in the Mini Pacific Games, an achievement for the nation.
There are others too of course, like athletes Ponifasio Tahamaka and Suitulunga Tupuiliu, boxer Travis Tapatuetoa, shooters Sionebelle Togiavolu and San Juan Talagi, who look forward to taking back some pleasant memories. Niue is not a part of the International Olympic Committees family, therefore the Commonwealth Games is their biggest stage in the sporting arena.
Niue is a self-governing country in free association with New Zealand, which means the bigger and more powerful nation takes care of their defence and foreign affairs. It is something similar to the relationship between India and Bhutan.
11 NATIONS WHO COMPETE ONLY AT CWG
Isle of Man
British Crown Dependency
Population: 85,000
CWG star: Mark Cavendish, cyclist
Jersey
British Crown Dependency
Population: 91,000
St. Helena
British Overseas Territory
Population: 4,000
Montserrat
British Overseas Territory
Population: 5,000
Turks & Caicos
British Overseas Territory
Population: 36,000
Anguilla
British Overseas Territory
Population: 14,000
Guernsey
British Crown Territory
Population: 65,000
Gibraltar
British Overseas Territory
Population: 30,000
Falkland Islands
British Overseas Territory
Population: 4,000
Norfolk Islands
Self governing territory (Australia connection)
Population: 2,500
Niue
Associated state (NZ connection)
Population: 2,000
TOI
Situated in the South Pacific Ocean, this island of about 1200 inhabitants is not as small as it sounds. With an area of 269 sq km, it is bigger than all the 15 Cook Islands put together. It is the tiny fun-loving population that makes this island so interesting. Forty-three of them are here, which includes 37 athletes. It forms a substantial chunk of their colourful population.
"We play a lot of sport," Puleosi, who is the country's weightlifting association's president and a former rugby player, said.
"We will be competing in athletics, weightlifting, shooting, lawn bowls, wrestling and boxing," Puleosi said. He expects a medal from weightlifter Narita Viliamu, in the women's 75kg category. Young Narita was the silver medallist in the Mini Pacific Games, an achievement for the nation.
There are others too of course, like athletes Ponifasio Tahamaka and Suitulunga Tupuiliu, boxer Travis Tapatuetoa, shooters Sionebelle Togiavolu and San Juan Talagi, who look forward to taking back some pleasant memories. Niue is not a part of the International Olympic Committees family, therefore the Commonwealth Games is their biggest stage in the sporting arena.
Niue is a self-governing country in free association with New Zealand, which means the bigger and more powerful nation takes care of their defence and foreign affairs. It is something similar to the relationship between India and Bhutan.
11 NATIONS WHO COMPETE ONLY AT CWG
Isle of Man
British Crown Dependency
Population: 85,000
CWG star: Mark Cavendish, cyclist
Jersey
British Crown Dependency
Population: 91,000
St. Helena
British Overseas Territory
Population: 4,000
Montserrat
British Overseas Territory
Population: 5,000
Turks & Caicos
British Overseas Territory
Population: 36,000
Anguilla
British Overseas Territory
Population: 14,000
Guernsey
British Crown Territory
Population: 65,000
Gibraltar
British Overseas Territory
Population: 30,000
Falkland Islands
British Overseas Territory
Population: 4,000
Norfolk Islands
Self governing territory (Australia connection)
Population: 2,500
Niue
Associated state (NZ connection)
Population: 2,000
TOI
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