Tonga Football Association’s (TFA) 2009 Major League has been a great success with a prize presentation worth $19,100 made on Saturday 11 July at the National Soccer Center in ‘Atele.
TFA was honoured to have had the Honourable Nobel Vaha’I and Moimoi Vaea as guests of honour.
Marist has been the dominant team in TFA Premier Division since it kicked-off in March this year.
The underdogs have made football history in Tonga over the weekend by toppling the defending Premier league champions Lotoha’apai .
Lotoha’apai have dominated the the TFA Premier Division over the last decade and Marist’s win represents the end of an eleven year hold on the Championship by Lotoha’apai.
For their valiant efforts Marist walked away with a $3000 cash prize. Lotoha’apai’s second placing earned them a prize of $2,500, while Manuka knocked off Ngeleia to secure third position and $2000 cash.
Meanwhile the only match that took event on Saturday was the woman’s final between Nuku’alofa 11 and Marist.
It was a spectacular clash with both teams in search for a elusive tie-breaking goal in normal time that saw the match spill over into a 20 minutes of extra-time that still could not break the deadlock. With the scores still locked at 0-0 after extra-time, the teams undertook a penalty shoot-out to decide the title winner. The final penalty score saw Marist bow out to Nuku’alofa 11, 3-2.
Nukualofa 11 coach, Atelaite Tuivailala, is ecstatic with her team’s performance.
“The girls commitment to soccer finally paid off and I and thankful for the effort they put up against Marist” Tuivailala said. She summed the match as an “Outstanding performance” by her team.
Children’s fun football also got underway on Saturday with more than 70 kids turning up at 9:30am to learn football. Kid’s fun football is gradually increasing by the week and TFA is encouraging parents to bring children between the ages of 6-13 years to attend every Saturday.
With the culmination of the 2009 major league last Saturday, TFA’s knock-out competition will kick off on 8 August 2009 and we are calling on all teams to make early registrations. TFA’s knock-out competition also promises great prizes.
Courtesy of TFA Media
| PREMIER DIVISION |
PRIZE ($) |
|
| 1st Place |
Marist |
3,000 |
| 2nd Place |
Lotoha’apai |
2,500 |
| 3rd Place |
Manuka |
2,000 |
| Sub-Total |
7,500 |
|
| 1st DIVISION |
||
| 1st Place |
Longoteme |
2,000 |
| 2nd Place |
Ha’amoko United |
1,500 |
| 3rd Place |
Vaolongolongo |
1,000 |
| Sub-Total |
4,500 |
|
| 2nd DIVISION |
||
| 1st Place |
Kolofo’ou |
1,000 |
| 2nd Place |
Folaha |
800 |
| 3rd Place |
Fo’ui |
600 |
| Sub-Total |
2,400 |
|
| UNDER 15 DIVISION |
||
| 1st Place |
Folaha |
700 |
| 2nd Place |
Lotoha’apai |
500 |
| 3rd Place |
Fo’ui |
300 |
| Sub-Total |
1,500 |
|
| WOMEN’SDIVISION |
||
| 1st Place |
Nukualofa 11 |
1,500 |
| 2nd Place |
Marist | 1,000 |
| 3rd Place |
Kaimai Glamour Girls |
700 |
| Sub-Total |
3,200 |
|
| TOTAL |
19,100 |