Tonga still hopeful government will offer funds for Olympic campaign Featured
onga's Pita Taufatofua celebrates qualifying for the Rio Olympics. Photo: Pita Taufatofua / Paula Sitapa / Tonga Taekwondo Association
19 July, 2016. Tonga's National Olympic Committee has yet to receive any financial support from the government towards their athletes competing at next month's Rio Olympics.
Tonga will send seven athletes to Brazil in swimming, athletics, archery and taekwondo.
The Interim Secretary General and CEO for the Tonga's National Olympic Committee, Takitoa Taumoepeau, said a request for funding support was made to the government at the start of the month.
"Obviously the IOC and Rio 2016 cover a lot of the funds...particularly for travel. We have requested government for some assistance. We are looking at it again, since the last time we had some financial assistance was the 2015 Pacific Games in Papua New Guinea. We are also talking to the International Olympic Committee and the Oceania National Olympic Committee for some remaining fund that we can access and we have been identified not a lot but they still have some to help our athletes who have qualified."
Takitoa Taumoepeau admitted it had been a turbulent period in the four-year build up to Rio, during which TASANOC had faced a series of administrative and financial problems.
He said the commmunity had been very supportive in fundraising for their Olympic athletes, while the likes of taekwondo star Pita Taufatofua have held a number of fundraising events to support their individual preparations.
"They've forked out I think some from their own (pockets) but at the same time we're just trying to encourage them because this is a new Executive Board and they are very proactive in assisting particularly for the Games. We have put aside some of our programmes and tried to plough in those extra funds just to help towards the athletes."
"Since now we've just started the new financial calendar...but so far (The government) haven't given us (any money) but I've just learned in the grapevine that probably they will reconsider their decision because we tabled a letter of application of request a couple of weeks ago and it wasn't approved but I think they would like to look at it again," he said.
"This is not just for the athletes, this is for Tonga. These athletes when they do well, it's not Pita or Karoline (L. Tatafu) or John or Tom, Dick and Harry, it's the country, it's Tonga, so I'm sure that the government will be forthcoming and supportive."
Tonga's confirmed athletes for the Rio Olympics:
Archery - Karoline L. Tatafu (one to be confirmed)
Taekwondo - Pita Taufatofua
Athletics - Siueni Filimone, Taina Halasima
Swimming - 'Amini Fonua, Irene Prescott
-RNZI
6 comments
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"oku toe pe 'ae ng Lau 'aho pea kamata 'ae Sipoti Olimipiki Rio 2016. pea mahalo pe kuo 'au 'ae Kau Sipoti Tonga kihe Kolo 'oe "Olimipiki 'I Rio.
Pea neongo 'ae ng feauhi 'oku kau kiai 'etau kau Sipoti, hange koe ng fkfuofua kihe metali? 'oku tu'u outsider kotoa 'ae kau Sipoti 'a Tonga ni he ng fea'uhi kotoa 'oku nau kau kiai ??
Ka 'oku 'iai 'ae Tui Falala 'e fai me'a 'a Tonga ni he 'Olimipiki 'I Rio 2016, hange ko hono fkohovale'i 'e Paea Wolfgrame 'a Mamani he Sipoti Olimipiki he 90 tupu 'I Atlanta.
'Oku 'oatu heni 'ae Talamonuu moe Popo'aki 'ofa kihe kau Sipoti kotoa 'oku folau atu kihe Olimipiki 2016. Fktau'ange kemou ma'u Ivi moe Malohi, ke fkhoko ho'omou lelei taha he ng fea'uhi 'oku mou kau kiai, moe 'ofa atu kiate kimoputolu kotoa.......................'Oku 'iai 'ae Fktu'amelie kihe tama mei he fo'ioneone, 'e faime'a he 'Olimipiki 2016 -
Masi'i Nepote 'oku fu'u si'isi'i fau e 15% ia kia Fe'ao. Kou tui au 'e 30% ia fakataha mo Siaosi, he 'oku nau takitaha Sea fakataha foki moe Palemia he ngaahi komiti lalahi 'e 3 'oku nau pule'i mo fokotu'utu'u e Sipoti 2019. Ke manatu'i 'ena kei 'i he Ngaahi Pisinisi 'a e Pule'anga? Na'a na vakavakaua hono huhu ta'efakaongonoa e ngaahi Poate 'e ni'ihi, kau ai e TFP moe TPL. 'Ai ai e ta'e huhu fakaongonoa moe toe hele fulufuluu. 'Ilo lelei pe 'e 'Uhila, ka he'ikai toe lea ia, he kuo nonga atu ia he PSC.
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Ka ko e me'a na'a toe fiema'u 'e Fe'ao ia ha'ane !5% hange ko e si'i navu 'o e kau toli ee
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'Ihe ngaahi 'ahoni foki ia, 'oku makatu'unga e tali vave moe lahi 'o e tokoni 'a e Pule'anga ia mei he ni'ihi e kau memipa he TNOC moe TASANOC. Kapau 'oku fehi'a e Palemia ia ha ni'ihi he ongo komiti ni, 'e tuai mo si'isi'i e tokoni ia. Pea 'okapau na'e tokolahi ai 'ene kau pone, pea 'e vave 'aupito pe ia. Ngali vave ange ha feinga kia Sovaleni mo Vakataa kena push he Kapineti ke feinga'i atu ha tokoni he kuo vave 'aupito e taimii sipoti.
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Hafua hoo mou ai paanga koe faifai pea toe ai ha tax foou he faa ai paanga.
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These so called non -government organisation has deteriorated to a point in which the government are not considering anymore monetary support due to internal conflicts and corruption. Why does the government has to forked out money from tax payers money to fund the so called executives and TASANOC members just to be at the games. If there is no money then why the hack are we going there, fullstop. There are other important issues that the government needs to deal with then sending these so called corrupt individuals, officials to be at the game and to enjoy themselves.
Malo