31 Oct 2014

Sport: Tongan women's football team hit by theft

12:23 pm on 31 October 2014

The Tonga Women's Football team not only lost on the field but they have now lost a large amount of its football gear after an overnight theft at their accommodation in the town of Kokopo in Papua New Guinea.

Matangi Tonga reports that the team were staying at a lodge and had left their sporting gear outside to dry overnight.

The gear was missing the next morning.

Stolen items include the team's cooler, 18 Adidas shirts, caps, shorts and a bag of groceries.

Despite the misfortune, the team's manager Adelaide Tu'ivailala says the team enjoyed its stay in East New Britain.

The team had been in PNG participating in the Oceania Women's Nations Cup.

Tonga finished last in the tournament after being outclassed by New Zealand, drawing with the Cook Islands and losing to the hosts.

Tonga's flag

Tonga's flag Photo: RNZ