Two players on the Bond University Bull Sharks’ playing roster have been named in the Tonga National Under 21 Extended Squad.
Twin sisters Joesi and Jorja Gisinger, both members of Bond’s Ruby team, are now firmly in the running for Tongan U21 selection, and possibly even higher national honours.
“We are very proud of our Tongan heritage and it’s a huge honour to be chosen in the squad,” Jorja said. “We are absolutely thrilled.”
The Tonga Tala, led by Queensland Firebirds midcourter Hulita Veve, pipped the highly fancied Malawi Queens at last year’s PacificAus Sports Netball Series.
Tonga is the eighth-ranked nation in the sport and widely considered as a netballing nation on the rise.
Bond University Head of Netball Kim Boland said she couldn’t be prouder of the twins’ selection.
“Both have worked incredibly hard for the past few years at the Bull Sharks,” she said. “Recognition by national-level selectors is a great reward for effort, and incredibly exciting.”
The Gisingers will enter a three-day Tonga Under 21 training camp on the Gold Coast towards the end of April alongside Lototomoua Talau, one of three apprentice netballers who recently spent a month at Bull Sharks Netball HQ.
Talau, Langilangi Ia He Lotu Taukeiaho and Salofi Uluheua arrived at Bond as part of the PacificAus Sports Immersion Program.
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The program gives specially selected athletes from Pacific nations exposure to high-performance netball programs, competitions, expert coaching and high-performance support services designed to build linkages between Australian and Pacific organisations and promote netball excellence in the region.
Last year Bond played host to two Tongan athletes as part of the same program.
Talau said she’d return home armed with plenty of knowledge, especially regarding the rigours of high-performance preparation.
“I've learned a lot about training and gym sessions,” she said.
Some lessons were particularly hard-earned.
“After I completed our first day of training I thought I was going to die! All that running!
“But gradually over the next three weeks all three of us improved. At the last session I completed all the running and I was very proud of myself. It was very hard, but also very good.”
Gym and conditioning work was supplemented by court sessions where the players were exposed to high-end technical tuition. The Tongan trio also enjoyed game play against a visiting PNG side.
Boland was impressed by what she saw.
“The girls are incredibly lucky to possess really sound physical fundamentals. They arrived with a fantastic attitude and they learned really quickly,” she said.
“From week one to the end of their time here we saw massive improvement on and off court.
“Our strength and conditioning staff were super-impressed with how strong they were, and to send them home with an extended understanding of the finer strategic nuances of the game can only be good for the health of the sport.”