五輪のトンガ旗手、安否不明の父の無事祈る

【シドニーＡＦＰ＝時事】昨年の東京大会を含む五輪の開会式で、上半身裸の伝統衣装姿でトンガ選手団の旗手を務め、世界的な注目を集めたピタ・タウファトファさんは、母国が海底火山の噴火とそれに伴う津波に襲われて以降、安否が確認されていない父親の無事を祈り続けている。（写真は東京五輪の開会式で、トンガ選手団の旗手を務めたピタ・タウファトファさん＜中央＞）
　タウファトファさんが最初に世界の耳目を集めたのは、２０１６年のリオデジャネイロ五輪の開会式で選手団の旗手として登場した際だった。以後、１８年平昌冬季五輪や東京五輪でもトンガを代表した。
　同国の海底火山フンガトンガ・フンガハアパイが噴火したのは１５日。現在オーストラリア・ブリスベンに滞在中のタウファトファさんは、ＡＦＰの電話取材に対し、噴火の数日前に父親がトンガ最大のトンガタプ島に向かったと明かした。
　タウファトファさんは「父はハアパイの首長に選出されたばかりで、議会の開会に合わせてトンガタプ島に戻らなければならなかった」と話した。
　父親は、巨大な噴煙に阻まれてハアパイに帰れず、津波が到達した時にはトンガタプ島の海岸沿いにある自宅にいたとみられている。タウファトファさんは「父が無事でいることを願い、祈っている」と述べた。
　タウファトファさんはクラウドファンディングサイト「ゴー・ファンド・ミー」で寄付を呼び掛けており、すでに３４万５０００豪ドル（約２８５０万円）が集まった。「１００万豪ドル（約８２００万円）を目標にしている」という。主要な病院２か所や学校など、必要不可欠なインフラの修理などに資金を提供したい考え。
　この募金とは別に、国連児童基金（ユニセフ）の太平洋地区親善大使を務めるタウファトファさんは、１８日には救援物資の梱包（こんぽう）を手伝った。衛生用品をはじめとするユニセフからの物資は、１９日に豪海軍艦でブリスベンからトンガへ輸送される予定。
　現地住民に思いを寄せているというタウファトファさん。「降灰が続き、何もかもが厳しい状況だと思うが、われわれがここで懸命に作業を続け、窮状を知ってもらえるよう努め、心を一つにしていることを皆に伝えたい」と語り、トンガの人々は「孤立してはいない」と強調した。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】

〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2022/01/19-11:26）

Tongan Olympic flagbearer Pita Taufatofua -- who made global headlines for going bare-chested at the Games -- is praying for news of his father after failing to hear from him following a devastating tsunami.
The Pacific island nation suffered widespread damage after a huge underwater volcanic eruption and tsunami on the weekend.
Speaking to AFP from Brisbane, Australia, the athlete said his father had travelled to Tonga?s main island, Tongatapu, a few days before the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha?Apai volcano erupted.
He had just been made governor of Ha'Apai so he had to return to Tongatapu for the opening of parliament, said Taufatofua, who first captured world attention when the Rio Games opened in 2016, where he appeared topless and glistening with body oil while waving the Tongan flag.
The Olympian said a huge ash cloud from the volcano prevented his father's return to Ha'Apai and that he was securing the family's waterfront home on Tongatapu when the tsunami hit.
I'm hoping and praying that my father is doing well, said Taufatofua, who competed in taekwondo in Rio and also represented his nation at the 2018 Winter Games, and Tokyo 2020.
Communication from Tonga has been crippled since the island nation's undersea cable was damaged during the disaster.
The first details of the impact on the ground have come from surveillance flights that were conducted by the Australian and New Zealand governments on Monday.
They've shown pictures of the green before and then the pictures now are black of these green islands, Taufatofua said.
This is going to have a huge impact on people with regards to whether it be respiratory health, whether it be water supply.
The athlete has launched a GoFundMe campaign which has raised nearly AU$345,000 (US$250,000).
Our goal is to raise $1 million, he said.
Once communications reopen, a volunteer team on the ground will conduct a needs assessment to determine where the funds are most urgently required.
At the moment, Taufatofua's focus is repairing any damage to vital infrastructure, including Tonga's two main hospitals and schools.
If the footage that we saw is anything to go by then we're thinking damage will be in the tens to hundreds of millions of dollars in terms of infrastructure, he said.
Separate to his GoFundMe campaign, Taufatofua is also a Pacific ambassador for UNICEF and spent Tuesday packing aid supplies for Tonga.
The UNICEF supplies, including sanitation, wash and water kits, were scheduled to travel to Tonga on the HMAS Adelaide, which is expected to depart Brisbane on Wednesday morning.
It has been an anxious wait for many Tongans living in Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere since the tsunami struck.
There are probably equal amounts of Tongans overseas as in Tonga. Maybe even a bit more. So there are a lot of people who are going through a stressful time at the moment, Taufatofua said.
The athlete said his thoughts were with those on the island.
I just want them to know that while everything was tough for them ? while the ashes were falling ? we were here working hard, getting the awareness out, standing with them.
They were not standing alone.