Brief History

The Tonga NOC was first created in 1961 as the Tonga Amateur Sports Association (TASA) to prepare a National Team for the 1st South Pacific Games held in Fiji in 1963. TASA later became the coordinator for the Tonga Commonwealth Games Team competing in Christchurch, New Zealand.

The IOC allowed special dispensation for Tonga to participate in the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1984 although TASA was officially not a member of the IOC. In 1986, when the IOC President visited Tonga, that he officially authorized Tonga a full membership of the IOC. TASA became an NOC in the same year.

Tonga's History of Olympic participation:

• First participated in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games in Boxing only,  with 2 officials and 2 competitors;
• In 1988 in Seoul (athletics and boxing), 4 officials, 4 athletes;
• In 1992 in Barcelona (boxing, weightlifting, and athletics) 4 officials, 6 athletes;
• And 1996 in Atlanta, 5 officials and 6 athletes. At these games Tonga became the first Pacific Island Nation to win an Olympic Medal (Silver won by Paea Wollfgram) in boxing in a match that stopped the nation