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Smash Down Barriers (Tonga)
Smash Down Barriers uses table tennis as a tool to improve the lives of people with a disability by increasing participation opportunities and improving the attitudes both by and towards people with a disability.
Sport
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Table Tennis
![table tennis icon]()
Location
Tonga
Focus Area
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Disability
![disabled sportsperson icon]()
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Leadership
![boy and girl holding a flag icon]()
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Governance
![People sitting at a table icon]()
Promoting inclusion across the Tongan community through table tennis.
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Credit: Tonga Table Tennis Association
programs
Making inclusion the norm
The Smash Down Barriers program in Tonga aims to promote inclusion across the community, educating the public and showcasing the skills of individuals with disabilities. Through events, school programs and table tennis-specific para development groups, Tonga's efforts with the program are continuously innovating and expanding to nurture socio-economic growth across the country.
Smash Down Barriers in Tonga is a partnership between the Tonga Table Tennis Federation and ITTF-Oceania. The partnership aims to help make inclusion the norm in the Kingdom of Tonga. The program will feature a handful of special calendar events to celebrate diversity, uniqueness and unity.
Key calendar dates include international days of celebration for Peace, Friendship and Individuals with Disabilities, as well as International Women's Day, International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, World Table Tennis Day and Zero Discrimination Day. These calendar events coincide with the values of the program and will feature fun, participation-oriented events to help nurture inclusion and education through enjoyable table tennis activities.
These one-off calendar events will help bolster the ongoing efforts of school and community programs, and development efforts with the para team.
CONTACT
For more information about Smash Down Barriers (Tonga) please use the contact details below.
Tonga Table Tennis Federation
Salote Fungavai
CEO
tongatabletennisfederation@gmail.com
Smash Down Barriers
Cherry Harvey
Smash Down Barriers Program Manager
charvey@ittfoceania.com
- TONGA TABLE TENNIS FEDERATION (WEBSITE) Visit our website
- TONGA TABLE TENNIS FEDERATION (FACEBOOK) Catch up with us on Facebook
- SMASH DOWN BARRIERS (WEBSITE) Visit our website
- SMASH DOWN BARRIERS (FACEBOOK) Catch up with us on Facebook
- INTERNATIONAL TABLE TENNIS FEDERATION - OCEANIA (FACEBOOK) Catch up with us on Facebook
Smash Down Barriers in numbers
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Individuals trained to deliver the program
0
participants
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participants with a disability
Watch Our Stories
Smash Down Barriers milestones
2015
Tonga National Badminton Association formalised agreement with Oceania and Australia Badminton to implement PSP
2017
DFAT established ASPP - a combined regional Indo-Pacific sports for development program. PSP became ASPP
2018
ITTF-Oceania developed the Bounce It Back(BiB)Tennis Schools Program and Manual
2019
Newly developed BiB Schools program launched in Tonga
Tonga Table Tennis awarded a Healthy Islands Best Practice recognition award from the World Health Organisation (WHO) for the SDB program
2021
Team Up program launched
Launched the Dream Building project in Kolonga, the largest township in the District of Lapaha with aims to engage people with disabilities in remote villages through inclusive and accessible table tennis activities
2022
Australian table tennis player Melissa Tapper, a dual Olympian and Paralympian, collaborated with the SDB Program in filming Bounce it Back sessions, emphasising strong ties between Australia and Tonga
The "my gender, my strength" course brought together female teachers and community members, providing them with the opportunity to become qualified coaches and technical official
TTTF CEO Netina Latu spoke at the International Working Group (IWG) Women &Sport Conference Hub in Fiji, representing the SDB Program and showcasing her leadership skills
2023
Participated in the National disability taskforce
Participated in the National social policy training
Smash Down Barriers in Tonga
ITTF – Oceania / Tonga Table Tennis Federation / Aaron Kearney (ABC International Development)
Smash Down Barriers in Tonga
ITTF – Oceania / Tonga Table Tennis Association / Aaron Kearney (ABC International Development)
Smash Down Barriers in Tonga
ITTF – Oceania / Tonga Table Tennis Association / Aaron Kearney (ABC International Development)
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