The Tonga Netball Association has joined the Australian Sports Partnership in a Team Up launch.
The kingdom’s national team has thanked Australia in a statement for securing another 10 year funding partnership.
“I’d like to give special acknowledgement to the Government of Australia through Netball Australia and our close partnership in the Australian Government-funded Pacific Sports Partnerships in past which will now continue to Australia Sports Partnership.”
“The Australian High Commission in Nuku'alofa, His Excellency and staff, we cannot thank you enough.”
“The Tongan Government especially our partnership with the Ministry of Internal Affairs through their sports division, CEO and Onetoto Anisi. Ministry of Education & Ministry of Health,” the statement said.
Australia has assisted Netball continuously since 2009.
Since then, Netball Tonga has been able to employ five full-time female staff members and establish a new best-practice governance with a Board of Directors and club membership structure.
The organisation has conducted programmes in villages and the islands across Tonga.
There are over 100 volunteers, qualified coaches, umpires and administrators.
Netball Tonga established committees in all the outer islands with the last committee set up in Niuatoputapu in 2019 and Niuafo’ou in 2020.
The organisation also has more than 3,000 participants playing the sport of netball regularly throughout Tonga in its tournaments locally and six standard tournaments annually with Australia’s assistance.
“Our 3 main village club tournaments are the Ari’i oe Hau tournament in collaboration with Tonga Leitis Association with Netball being the safe hub sport for LGBTQ. High School & Tertiary Netball, Corporate Netball for Government Ministries and the corporate businesses and Kidsnet.”
Tonga Netball became a member of the International Netball Federation INF in 2012 by being able to meet the high standards of the highest netball body.
“We’re happy to say Tonga Netball is still a member of INF and also the Oceania Netball Federation ONF.”
“From this we have a national team competing in International Competitions. It is with Australia’s help Tonga won silver in the last Pacific Games 2019- with a 44-43, 1-point loss in the finals to Cook Islands. Which only means more work to get that gold that got away,” the statement said.