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Tonga Sport for Development Program

The purpose of the Tonga Sport for Development Program is to facilitate increased women’s leadership and positive health-related behaviours of women and girls through quality sports-based activities. 

In addition to the health benefits associated with increased levels of physical activity, quality sport programs have inherent benefits such as increasing the capacity of individuals and communities to organise, lead, network, communicate, cooperate, administer, evaluate, self determine, become more active and develop a sense of responsibility and fair play – capacities that contribute to community development.

Partners

The Tonga Sport for Development Program is a partnership between the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) and the Government of Tonga’s Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) and Ministry of Health (MoH). 

Structure

Project activities include:
Building the capacity of the Tonga Netball Association
TNA, with the support of the project, is increasing opportunities for Tongans, especially girls and women, to participate in quality sport activities.
A targeted ‘Sport for Health’ intervention
This initiative uses social marketing tools to:

• Target a specific audience
• Develop specific health related behavioural objectives for that audience
• Take a holistic approach to engendering behaviour change 
• Conduct a baseline and measure the target groups progress

Participation

By supporting the capacity building of the TNA, the project is engaging a broad spectrum of participants through tournaments, coach and umpire training and the development of community clubs.

Implementation

The Tonga Sport for Development Program is primarily managed by MIA.
MIA works in collaboration with TNA to increase sporting opportunities for girls and women through the creation of clubs, coach and umpire training and regular tournaments.  These activities provide opportunities for girls and women to lead activities in their communities.

MIA works in collaboration with the Ministry of Health to deliver the Sport for Health project.  MIA is responsible for coordinating delivery of sport activities and the Ministry of Health is responsible for health messaging and health activities related to the project.