Tuvalu, formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is an island country in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean, about midway between Hawaii and Australia. It lies east-northeast of the Santa Cruz Islands, northeast of Vanuatu, southeast of Nauru, south of Kiribati, west of Tokelau, northwest of Samoa and Wallis and Futuna, and north of Fiji.
The Tuvalu national football team is the international football team of Tuvalu. Football in Tuvalu is played at the club and international level. The Tuvalu national team draws players from the Tuvalu A-Division and trains at the Tuvalu Sports Ground at Funafuti. The national team competes in the Pacific Games, and is controlled by the Tuvalu Islands Football Association, which is an associate member of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) but not a member of FIFA.
Sir Iakoba Taeia Italeli is a Tuvaluan politician who was the governor-general of Tuvalu from 16 April 2010, until 22 August 2019, when he resigned to contest in the 2019 general election. He was not successful in that election, however he was elected as a member of parliament in the 2024 Tuvaluan general election.
Tuvalu competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, from 8 to 24 August 2008. This was the nation's first ever appearance in an Olympic Game. The delegation included two track and field athletes and one weightlifter. Okilani Tinilau and Asenate Manoa participated in athletics while Logona Esau participated in the weightlifting sport. Both track and field athletes achieved national records. Logona Esau led the Tuvaluan squad as the nation's flag bearer in the parade of nations.
Tuvalu first participated in the Commonwealth Games in 1998, when a weightlifter attended the games held at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Tuvalu has subsequently sent teams to compete in the Commonwealth Games.
Logona Esau is a Tuvaluan weightlifter.
Kausea Natano is a politician who served as the Prime Minister of Tuvalu from 19 September 2019 to 26 February 2024. He represented Funafuti as a Member of Parliament. He was first elected in the 2002 Tuvaluan general election and served as an MP until he was unseated in the 2024 Tuvaluan general election.
Sport is an important part of Tuvaluan culture, which sporting culture is based on traditional games and athletic activities and the adoption of some of the major international sports of the modern era.
Enele Sosene Sopoaga PC is a Tuvaluan diplomat and politician who was Prime Minister of Tuvalu from 2013 to 2019.
The Tuvalu Islands Football Association (TIFA) is the governing body of football in Tuvalu. The association is responsible for the Tuvalu national football team and the Tuvalu national futsal team. Tuvalu is not a full member and is not affiliated with FIFA. It does not compete in FIFA World Cup Qualifiers because of its non-affiliation.
Tuvalu participates in the Pacific Games which is a multi-sport event with participation exclusively from countries in Oceania. Known as the South Pacific Games prior to 2009, the games are currently held every four years.
Women in Tuvalu continue to maintain a traditional Polynesian culture within a predominantly Christian society. Tuvaluan cultural identity is sustained through an individual's connection to their home island. In the traditional community system in Tuvalu, each family has its own task, or salanga, to perform for the community. The skills of a family are passed on from parents to children. The women of Tuvalu participate in the traditional music of Tuvalu and in the creation of the art of Tuvalu including using cowrie and other shells in traditional handicrafts. There are opportunities of further education and paid employment with non-government organisations (NGOs) and government enterprises, education and health agencies being the primary opportunities for Tuvaluan women.
The Tuvalu Athletics Association (TAA) is the governing body for the sport of athletics in the Tuvalu.
The Tuvalu Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (TASNOC) is the Tuvaluan organization recognized as a National Olympic Committee (NOC) by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). In 2006, Tuvalu satisfied the IOC's criterion of a minimum five national sports federations recognized by their international sports federations, which included basketball, volleyball, weightlifting, boxing and table tennis.
The Tuvalu Weightlifting Federation (TWF) is the organisation recognised by the International Weightlifting Federation as the weightlifting federation of Tuvalu.
Tuvalu competed at the 2019 Pacific Games in Apia, Samoa. The country participated in nine sports at the 2019 games. The Tuvaluan team was made up of 98 athletes, including 3 para-athletes: Esekai Vaega, Tanielu Soa, and Ioane Hawaii who received a gold medal in the Table Tennis, Men's Seated Singles division.
Karalo Hepoiteloto Maibuca Junior is a Tuvaluan sprinter. He is the son of Ratu Karalo Maibuca Senior, a Fijian, and a mother from Kioa. He was selected to compete at the 2020 Summer Olympics and was given the honour of being the flag bearer for his nation in the opening ceremony alongside Matie Stanley. In the preliminary round of the 100 metres he ran a Tuvaluan national record time of 11.42 seconds, but did not qualify to the next round.
Tuvalu competed at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England between 28 July and 8 August 2022. It was Tuvalu's seventh appearance at the Games.
Manuila Raobu is a Tuvaluan Weightlifter representing Tuvalu at the Commonwealth Games and Pacific Games.
Ioane Hawaii is a Tuvaluan para table tennis player and disability rights activist who has represented Tuvalu at the Pacific Games.
Tuvalu 
