Sanitesi Latu

Sanitesi Latu (born 22 December 1950) is a former Tongan Athlete who has represented Tonga at the Commonwealth Games, Pacific Games, and Pacific Mini Games.

Latu was born in Toloa on the island on Tongatapu.^[1]

He competed in the 1969 South Pacific Games in Port Moresby as a high jumper,^[2] without success. At the 1971 South Pacific Games in Papeete he won bronze in the Decathlon.^[3] He then competed in the 1974 British Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand, coming 5th in the decathlon.^[4]^[5] After the Commonwealth Games he moved to Melbourne, Australia, where he worked as a storeman and gained permanent residency.^[6] He contested the 1975 South Pacific Games in Tumon, Guam, winning gold in both the 110 metres hurdles and the Decathlon.^[3] In 1974 and 1978 he was Australian champion in the decathlon. His Australian residency meant he was unable to compete in the 1979 South Pacific Games.^[7]^[8]

At the 1982 Commonwealth Games he retired from the decathlon. At the 1985 South Pacific Mini Games in Rarotonga he won gold in the shot put and bronze in the discus.^[3] At the 1987 South Pacific Games in Nouméa he won bronze in the shot put.^[3] At the 1989 South Pacific Mini Games in Nukuʻalofa he won bronze in the shot put.^[3]

In December 2009 he was inducted into the Tonga National Sports Hall of Fame.^[1]

Honours

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Seven named for the National Sports Hall of Fame". Matangi Tonga. 8 December 2009. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
^ "FEWER ATHLETES AT GAMES-BUT BEST YET TIMES EXPECTED". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 40, no. 8. 31 July 1969. p. 29. Retrieved 31 July 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Sanitesi Latu". Athletics Podium. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
^ ""Sideline" manager elated". The Press. 31 January 1974. p. 18. Retrieved 31 July 2022 – via Papers Past.
^ "The Pacific way doesn't win medals". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 45, no. 3. 1 March 1974. p. 11. Retrieved 31 July 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "Tongan to stay". The Press. 18 July 1975. p. 20. Retrieved 31 July 2022 – via Papers Past.
^ "LAST OF THE SUPER GAMES". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 50, no. 10. 30 September 1979. p. 10. Retrieved 31 July 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "SOUTH PACIFIC GAMES New training methods only hope". Canberra Times. 9 September 1979. p. 22. Retrieved 31 July 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "Royal orders presented at Palace". Matangi Tonga. 1 August 2008. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.

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