Salote Sisifa Photo: Supplied
Tonga Netball chief executive Salote Sisifa has been appointed interim president of Oceania Netball Federation.
Oceania Netball has seven full regional members (Cook Islands, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, Solomon Islands) and three associate members (Norfolk Islands, Niue, Vanuatu).
Sisifa told RNZ Pacific on Thursday that she is honoured to be given the role.
She replaces the late Wainikiti Waqa Bogidrau, the former president of Netball Fiji.
Sisifa said being given the lead role in the Oceania netball region is a big task, adding the calling means recognition for Tonga Netball and what they have been able to contribute towards netball development in the region.
"Kiti (Wainikiti) has left big shoes to fill," Sisifa said.
"I have learned a lot working with her and colleagues of Oceania over the years.
"I am grateful for the trust Oceania have bestowed on me but definitely a reflection of the respect Tonga is given from our member countries of Oceania."
Sisifa took up the Tonga Netball leadership role in 2013, and since then, has driven the development and transformation of the association and the sport in the island kingdom.
Her achievements so far includes leading Tonga's campaigns to winning the Pacific Games gold medal in 2023, claiming four consecutive PacificAus Netball Series titles between 2022-2024, taking the Tala national netball team to the 2023 World Netball Cup in South Africa, and claiming a top 10 spot in world rankings.
She is also spearheading the campaign for the Tala Under-21 team to the World Youth Netball Championship later this year.
Under her leadership, Tonga Netball has been successfully integrating their overseas-based players with local talents, which has seen the sport strengthened in Tonga.
Sisifa has also been instrumental in securing funding from the Australian government through the PacificAus sports programme, which enabled Tonga Netball to secure the services of top netball management and officials, including head coach Jaqua Pori Makea-Simpson.
