By Linny Folau

New Zealand national netball player, Temalisi Fakahokotau, a Silver Ferns defender, is visiting Nuku’alofa for christmas and took the opportunity  to share her netball skills with young players this morning Tuesday, 22 December.

The 21-year-old, who is spending the holidays with a Tongan grandmother that she hasn’t seen for 13-years, said this is her first visit to Tonga.

Temalisi held the free one-day netball clinic, teaching netball skills to young enthustiastic players at Tonga High School's outdoor court. 

"I originally wanted to do the netball clinic for two or three days but because it’s nearly Christmas this was the only free day. It is beautiful here and to come back and give back to the kids is great," she said.

Temalisi who is playing for the Sky City Mystics for the third-year now, is studying for a Bachelor of Education at Auckland University of Technology.

"I love kids and I love being here and being able to give netball back to the kids is very important," she said.

Silver Ferns

Temalisi said it was amazing being the first full Tongan to be selected to play for the Silver Ferns.

"I started playing for the Silver Ferns last year and my contract runs until this year. So to play for them in the future depends on whether I get a call for the trials and hopefully I do," she said.

Playing for New Zealand's national team was great and she recognised her parents support when she was young, "for their time and effort in taking me to every netball game which paid off. I just hope to give back more to my family and to the people of Tonga."

Temalisi said she planned to come back to Tonga and hold more netball clinics in the future.

Supporting the clinics were the Tonga Netball Association's Salote Sisifa,and Dr. Toakase Fakakovikaetau, along with the New Zealand High Commissioner to Tonga, HE Sarah Walsh, Tonga's Minister of Sports Hon Fe‘ao Vakata and Manitela Kaufusi. Nuku‘alofa, Tonga. 22 December 2015