Tonga sportsmen
p. 21 · Read in the full issue
short of money
From a Nukualofa correspondent Still in the red after the third South Pacific Games at Port Moresby in 1969, the Tonga Amateur Sports Association is scraping every seniti together to send a team of 15 to Tahiti for the fourth Games—and finding it a hard task.
The association feels that it doesn’t get enough support for the good it does. Fiji has a Ministry of Sport and Recreation. Then why not Tonga? It’s long overdue here to safeguard sport and recreation for the kingdom’s youth. Most young Tongans find it hard enough to get a job. Surely they should not be deprived of their recreation as well!
Sports, athletics, football, basket ball, swimming, cricket—all safety valves, all ways of letting off excess steam, but the association is finding it harder, as time goes on and living costs rise, to make ends meet. Fund raising for the association began in January, 1963, and since then four sports teams have been sent over seas, three to the Games and one to Western Samoa’s celebrations in Apia.
Up to June 30 this year, the asso ciation, with the aid of its affiliated bodies, had raised $11,425.35 and over the same period the government has given grants totalling $2,800. A loan of $3,000 was obtained to get the third South Pacific Games team away.
Now, with the fourth Games only a short time away, the association is the raising about 56,000 to send our 15-strong team away. We will get the government grant of $6OO which leaves $5,400 to be found. We are hoping the Miss Tonga contest will bring in enough to cover the balance but over the
next few years we have to find enough to repay the loan of $3,000. With the government grant we can pay it off in five years, but that only leaves the association with its affiliation fees to run on, which will not be enough for normal expenses let alone sending a team to the fifth Games.
Turning from the sordid matters of money, to the reason for the asso ciation’s existence, we can report that the athletic team for the Games is coming along well, and all athletes should be able to turn in good per formances.
Leading the field, of course, is Peni Tu’ipulotu, one of the stars of the last two Games. He is in the United States at present but is expected back early in August.
His main events will be 110 metre hurdles and 400 metre hurdles the Games record for which he holds.
He has also asked to contest 100 metre, 200 metre and 400 metre.
Keta ’longi will enter for 100 metre, 200 metre, 100 metre hurdles, long jump and pentathlon. She is almost back to her best times and should again make her presence felt.
Her younger sister Kailasi will be a second string to Keta in 100 metre and 200 metres. Kailasi is young but keeps on improving and should turn in good performances in Tahiti.
Big things are expected of Sanitesi Latu who went to the third South Pacific Games as a high jumper. In these Games he has been entered for 110 metre hurdles, high jump, long jump and decathlon.
The others that make up the team are untried against overseas oppo sition but it is hoped they will come up to expectations. Peauafi Hokinima is a middle distance runner and will be entered for 3,000 metres steeple chase and 5,000 metres. Sosifa Toko lahi will run in the 400 metres and 800 metres whilst Talitolu Ngaluafe has been entered for 100 metres, 200 metres, 400 metres and 400 metres hurdles.
The fact that Tonga boxers fought only moderately behind Fiji and the Samoas at Moresby is no reflection on the popularity of the sport in Tonga. The reverse is the case. The main troubles are the almost com plete lack of training facilities and competent coaches, and the steady trickle of top amateurs into profes sional ranks.
Only one boxer in each division will go to Tahiti. They are, heavy weight Moniti Fifita, light heavy weight Viliami Sovaleni, middleweight Ilaiuti Longani, light middleweight Maile Peti, welterweight Asipeli Potauame, light welterweight Solo mone Namoa. Mr. Adolph Johansson is boxing manager.