Netball Australia have announced a new three-year agreement to the Australian government’s PacificAus Sports program, which will support the development pathways for athletes from Samoa, Tonga, Fiji and Papua New Guinea.

Working in partnership with the Australian department of foreign affairs and trade, the program aims to create pathways for emerging Pacific athletes to benefit from high quality coaching and training, leadership development and education opportunities.

Netball Australia will also attempt to increase coaching capabilities in the Pacific by travelling to each country, once safe to do so, with the organisation planning on working with the Federal Government on alternative activity and creative ways to be supportive remotely.

Speaking on the announcement, Netball Australia interim chief executive, Ron Steiner, said developing netball in the Pacific is the priority of the deal.

“Netball Australia is pleased to extend our support for the growth and development of netball internationally, particularly given that netball plays such an important role in strengthening communities and providing opportunities for girls and women to shine,” Steiner said.

“The PacificAus sports program will have a significant impact in supporting performance outcomes for netball in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Papua New Guinea as they begin to look to the Commonwealth Games and Netball World Cup.

“The program builds on Netball Australia’s ongoing commitment to the Pacific region, where we have been working for the past 10 years as part of the Australian government funded Pacific sports partnership programs and their new “team up” initiative.

“This includes working with communities at the grassroots level to address physical inactivity, as well as inequalities experienced by women and girls,” he said.