- Tonga is investing significantly more resources in the development of women’s football
- With the support of FIFA, the number of participants has increased significantly
- The upcoming first FIFA Women’s World Cup in the region is generating increased interest
Last week the cities and stadiums were announced in which the games of the FIFA Women’s World Cup will be played in just over two years. However, anyone who thinks that the effects of hosting this tournament for the first time in the southern hemisphere would be limited to Australia and New Zealand are mistaken.
Numerous oceanic nations are now driving the development of women’s football much more decisively and hardly any one is more involved than Tonga.
The General Secretary of the Tonga Football Association (TFA), Lui Aho, speaks of “increased interest from the communities in registering new women’s teams” since it was established that the most important women’s football tournament in the world was in Down Under will be held.
The TFA itself is also increasing its commitment in this regard and can rely on the support and guidance of FIFA. The TFA now even has two officers for the development of women’s football who are committed to all islands, not just the main island of Tongatapu.
As in the neighboring nations, the motivation is particularly high in Tonga, as this time the opportunity to participate in a playoff tournament for the FIFA Women’s World Cup beckons. The OFC nations are fighting for participation in the event with ten teams, three of which will ultimately qualify for the finals with 32 nations.
Since New Zealand is automatically qualified, the other OFC nations are delivering a particularly intense race. In addition, the traditional Pacific heavyweight Papua New Guinea was overtaken by Fiji for the first time in the 2018 OFC Women’s Cup of Nations. Tonga would also have a great advantage if they participated in Australia and New Zealand, as an enormous number of emigrants from Tonga live in both countries and support their team.
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The vigor in Tonga has steadily increased in recent years, but women’s football has been played in the Polynesian nation for a long time. When Tonga first took part in the Pacific Games in 2003, it won the bronze medal. Even after that, the team continued to show strong performances on a continental level, with the women celebrating greater successes than the men. And all of this in a nation where rugby has traditionally been by far the most popular sport.
Adelaide Tuivailala, head of women’s football at TFA and a 2017 FIFA course graduate for women in management positions, is enthusiastic about the new opportunities for the small country with just 100,000 inhabitants and is working intensively on shaping the future. With a FIFA grant for women’s football, the TFA is advancing ambitious plans in four key areas:
- Governance and leadership
- Accessibility and participation
- Competitions
- Awareness and promotion
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