Tongan Pita Taufatofua will be hoping to break the internet for a different reason tomorrow — for his sporting prowess

HE sent social media in a spin with his buff, oiled up rig at the Rio Olympic’s opening ceremony and tomorrow night Brisbane-based Tongan Pita Taufatofua will finally compete.

Tonga's flag-bearer Pita Nikolas Taufatofua leads his delegation during the opening ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 5, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / OLIVIER MORIN

SOUTHEAST Queensland’s tight-knit taekwondo community will all be up on Saturday night cheering on Pita Taufatofua in his Olympic Games debut.

Caboolture taekwondo head instructor Carlos Lakerdis, who hosted Taufatofua at his “second-to-none” facility in the lead up to the Games, said “everyone in Caboolture, Brisbane and New Zealand will be up cheering for him”.

Taufatofua, who sent social media into a frenzy when he stepped out all oiled-up at the opening ceremony as Tonga’s flag-bearer, will compete in the men’s over 80kg taekwondo on August 21 at 12.15am against Iran’s Sajjad Mardani.

“It’s great because he’s the first person to compete for Tonga in taekwondo at the Olympics,” Lakerdis, who has known Taufatofua for four years and trained with him at different times, said.

“He’s got the Iranian in the first round ... it will be very tough, Iran has a very strong team.

“It’s a tough draw but if he performs on the day, he has a good a chance as anybody.”

Lakerdis said the introduction of electronic headgear at the Rio Games, in addition to the electronic chest plates, would help make it “a much fairer competition” than in the past.

“It will help take the bias out of judging,” Lakerdis said.

“It’ll be anyone’s game. Everyone has a good chance at a medal ... I think Pita is up there with a good chance.”

When he isn’t training or competing, Taufatofua, 32, is completing his masters in engineering, and working as a youth worker at Sandgate House.

The St Peter’s Lutheran College graduate has been helping youths get back on their feet through Brisbane Youth Service (BYS), which supports Sandgate House emergency accommodation, for the past seven years.

His supervisor BYS Operations Manager for Service Delivery Michael Johnson said Taufatofua’s Olympic dream had been inspirational to the countless youths who had met him.

“He has always referred to his dream, and that it’s important to set goals ... he’s a wonderful motivator,” Johnson said.

Johnson said it was also Taufatofua’s family focus and community spirit that made him a particularly special role model for some of the 1400 young people and families assisted by the service each year.