Tsunami-hit Tonga’s oiled-up Olympic flag bearer Pita Taufatofua raises over US$340,000 in disaster aid

Pita Taufatofua created an online fundraiser for ‘those most in need’ the same day a massive volcanic eruption struck his small island nation

The athlete rose to prominence after baring his chest and slathering himself with oil while in traditional Tongan dress during the Games’ opening ceremonies

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Tonga flag bearer Pita Taufatofua poses with a volunteer and teammates during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. Photo: AP

Published: 6:00am, 20 Jan 2022

The flag-bearer who represented Tonga at the 2016 Summer Olympics, 2018 Winter Olympics, and 2020 Summer Olympics has raised more than US$340,000 in relief funds for the country to recover from a recent tsunami and volcanic eruption.

The small island nation of Tonga lost most of its communication with the rest of the world on January 15, 2022, after a devastating tsunami hit its islands following an enormous volcanic eruption.

Olympian Pita Taufatofua, who rose to international prominence for baring his chest, slathering himself with oil, and wearing traditional Tongan dress for three Olympic opening ceremonies, created the fundraiser through GoFundMe on the same day the disasters hit.

In a description on the fundraising page, Taufatofua wrote that while there was only a “trickle of information” coming out of the country, “inevitably there will be a catastrophic financial cost to our little country”.

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