Contacts:                                                                                                                                 

Fusikaunanga Kupu

Marketing, Digicel Tonga

Mobile: +676 841 5019

Email: fusi.kupu@digicelgroup.com

DIGICEL (TONGA) MAKES A DREAM COME TRUE FOR THE NATIONAL PARALYMPICS TEAM.

Tuesday 31^st May 2011 – Nuku’alofa:  In a press conference today, Digicel (Tonga) Ltd in collaboration with The Tonga National Paralympics Committee announce their support for the Teams Qualification Round in Darwin Australia.

Digicel (Tonga) Ltd continues to show their support for the local sporting talent in the Kingdom including the wonderful results of The National Paralympics’ Team.

The National Paralympics team arrived back home to the Kingdom last week with 4 medals from the Arafua Games held in Darwin with Mr.Sione Manu Mafi taking away 1 Gold for Shot Put and 1 Silver for Discus. While Mr. ‘Aisea Filiai achieved 1 Silver Medal and 1 Bronze Medal for Shot-put and Javelin events.

In addition, 4 medals were achieved by the Tonga National Paralympic team at the Oceanic Championship with 3 Gold medals where two medals were awarded to Mr.Sione Mafi Manu for Shot put and Discus. While Mr.’Aisea Filiai achieved one Gold and one Silver for the events that he had participated in which is Shot put and Javelin.

Digicel Tonga provided financial support for accommodations, transport and other necessary items to the National Paralympics Committee in Darwin.

Villiami of TNPC says “We at The Tonga National Paralympics Committee feel privileged to have the Support of Digicel (Tonga) for our trip to the Arafua Games in Darwin in May. This Qualifying Round for the Paralympic Games held in London in January of 2012 is a dream come true for our athletes who have been training very hard to reach this goal. The Support of Digicel (Tonga) has made this dream a reality for us, and afforded opportunities for our athletes to showcase their talent. We are confident in our bid to reach the London Games in 2012.”

Digicel’s CEO Paul Stafford adds “Today we celebrate the success of the members of the Tongan National Paralympics Team for the Arafua Games in Darwin. 8 medals is a wonderful achievement, and we are proud to have been a part the journey of these athletes.’

 Digicel makes it a point to widen their to encourage and support many sporting activities in Tonga. In helping the Tongan National Paralympics Committee in their proposal to be eligible for the London Games supports our dream for the talent of the Kingdom of Tonga to do extremely well at the highest levels.

 About Digicel

After nine years of operation, Digicel Group Limited has 11 million customers across its 32 markets in the Caribbean, Central America and the Pacific. The company is renowned for delivering best value, best service and best network.

Digicel is the lead sponsor of Caribbean, Central American and Pacific sports teams, including the Special Olympics teams throughout these regions. Digicel sponsors the West Indies cricket team and is also the title sponsor of the Digicel Caribbean. In the Pacific, Digicel is the proud sponsor of several national rugby teams and also sponsors the Vanuatu cricket team. 

Digicel also runs a host of community-based initiatives across its markets and has set up Digicel Foundations in Jamaica, Haiti and Papua New Guinea which focus on educational, cultural and social development programmes.

In 2004, Digicel developed Digicel Rising Stars – an annual talent show to support aspiring young music artists in the Caribbean. The show has spanned the Eastern Caribbean, Haiti, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago ranking as one of the top-rated shows.

Digicel is incorporated in Bermuda and its markets comprise: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, El Salvador, Fiji, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Nauru, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, St Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos and Vanuatu. Digicel also has coverage in St. Martin and St. Barts in the Caribbean.

Visit www.digicelgroup.com   for more information.