The feud between the Tonga Boxing Association and New Zealand based Tongan boxing amateurs had been disappointing, the Chairman of Tonga Sports Council, ‘Ikani Taliai, said today.
Speaking to Kaniva news, Taliai said he was concerned that it appeared the selection of the best athletes for the South Pacifc Games had been compromised.
He warned that the government would not fund a team or athletes or organisational governance for the Samoa Pacific Games next month if they did not reach the qualification standards.
“The boxing team is no exception,” he said.
He also warned that the athletes must be the priority of all sport federations which came under the control of the Tonga Amateur Sports Association and National Olympic Committee (TASANOC).
Taliai made his comments after Kaniva news reported this week that TBA Secretary Mataele Funaki had demanded an apology from New Zealand-based Tongan trainer Fili Maka before he would endorse four boxing champions from Maka’s camp to represent Tonga at the Pacific Games.
Maka refused to apologise, saying the TBA had triggered the feud after it did not keep to their agreement before they arrived in Tonga for the National Boxing Tournament in March.
As Kaniva news reported yesterday, Maka was accused of visiting to the Prime Minister.
In an e-mail to TBA seen by Kaniva news, Maka said he and others met in Tonga in an attempt to set up a new Tonga Boxing Association.
He also said they visited the Prime Minister and reported to him what had happened between him and Fūnaki.
It is understood Fūnaki and TBA believed some people, including Maka, were attempting to hijack the national boxing association.
“This whole episode has been disappointing because as you say the better boxers have not been given the chance to represent Tonga at the PG,” Taliai told Kaniva news.
“I hear that Mataele is demanding an apology from Fili before he will include the New Zealand- based boxers in the list. This is ridiculous and childish. If this is true then obviously Mataele is not making the athletes the priority, but something else. Someone going to see the PM about concerns should be of no consequence. Making it a consequence is making the issue political.”
Government funding for the Pacific Games teams came from the TSC.
“I have made it clear that if a team or athlete or organisational governance is not appropriate or reached qualification standards then the TSC will deny funding for the purpose of going to Samoa,” he said.
“This is still knowing that Tasanoc can select teams or athletes to go to Samoa regardless of whether we at TSC don’t think they should go.
“We have made this clear to Tasanoc and all sport Federations. The boxing team is no exception. They know that if they don’t select the most appropriate athletes which obviously includes the NZ based ones, we will not fund then.”
Taliai said this opened up a more regional problem for sports across the Pacific, especially the running of the Pacific Games.
“All governments across the Pacific do not have the authority to select their teams to the Pacific Game, even though those governments pay the bills,” he said.
“This is how it’s set up and why there is a problem. The agents of the PGC are the independent bodies in each country such as TASANOC in Tonga. If any government interferes with these independent bodies the PGC bans that country from the games. Tahiti is a recent example.”
The main points
- The feud between the Tonga Boxing Association and New Zealand based Tongan boxing amateurs had been disappointing, the Chairman of Tonga Sports Council, ‘Ikani Taliai, said today.
- Speaking to Kaniva news, Taliai said he was concerned that it appeared the selection of the best athletes for the South Pacific Games had been compromised.
For more information
Trainer says his story twisted; TBA denies politics involved in decision to drop Pacific Games boxing winner
