Boxer Tarona Taafaki has won Tuvalu their first ever Commonwealth Games medal as she took bronze in the women’s 75kg boxing division.

The 20-year-old lost her semi-final bout, falling to defeat against India’s Lovlina Borgohain on Friday night after judges unanimously scored every round against her – however Taafaki still picked up a medal.

She reached the semi-final via a bye, and with only five entrants in her category and Commonwealth Games rules ensuring each semi-finalist receive a bronze medal, the boxer instantly made history for her country.

Her coach and father Badi Taafaki told the Press Association: “For the people of Tuvalu, this medal means everything.

“We’re one of the smallest nations in the world, so a medal like this is hugely significant. We have worked so hard to get here. For me as a coach, it’s a stepping stone.”

Tuvalu, a tiny island in the Pacific Ocean, is the fourth-smallest nation in the world.

“When I was growing up, boxing barely existed in Tuvalu,” said Badi. “We didn’t have gloves, so we were forced to fight bare-knuckle, and hit bags filled with sand.”

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Athletes even train on the island’s airport runway, as it’s the most stable stretch of land amid the effects of climate change.

“Yes, we train on the airport runway,” Badi said. “When a plane comes in, everyone moves aside. As soon as it leaves, we go back on the tarmac, because there is nowhere else to train.

“If we can win medals, more people around the world will recognise Tuvalu and begin to understand the challenges we face because of climate change.

“It is very real for us. The coastal erosion is unbelievable, and the countdown is now measured in years, not decades.

“Some islands have lost half their land. At high tide the sea comes right through. People living on the coast can’t sleep if there’s a storm, because the waves can come straight through their homes.”

Taafaki is not the first boxer to win a Commonwealth Games medal without winning a fight.

Australia’s Taylah Robertson won bronze in the women’s flyweight category in 2018 despite losing her bout to England’s Lisa Whiteside.

Taafaki’s opponent Borgohain will now face Emma-Sue Greentree of Australia in the final.