TFA Referee, Tellos Toni Kaufusi on his experience from OFC U15 Development Tournament
Tellos Toni Kaufusi, sixth out of nine children, born and raised in Falaleu in the Island of Vava’u is one of Tonga Football Association’s most improving and enthusiastic young referees who is now pursuing and chasing a dream of reaching the highest level of Match Officials in the International Level Competitions.
The 23rd year old talented young man began his journey in Football when he was introduced in Primary School to TFA’s Grassroots Program at the Liviela Football Club at the age of 10.
Brief history of Toni Kaufusi in Football:
- Vava’u Grassroots Team Tournament Tour to Tongatapu, 2011
- Join St. Peter Chanel College Soccer Team Year 16-19
- Join Referees Program at F/3 13 Years Old start as Assistant Referee at Vava’u Football Association
- 2015 Change From Assistant Referees to a Referees and still play
- 2016 Join Tonga U16 Team Tour to NewZealand
- 2018 Join Lotoha’apai Club and selected on the Tonga U19 Team Championship hosted in Cook Islands and Tahiti
- 2020 Join Marist Football Club
- 2022 First International appointment OFC Competition as a Referee
- 2023 Second International appointment OFC Competition as a Referee U-15 Development Tournament
Tellos Kaufusi was one of three match officials who was appointed from TFA to officiate at the OFC U15 Development Tournament which ended on Monday, 17 April 2023. As one of this Tournament’s Objectives was to provide young referees with chance to work as a team of officials on national team fixtures, Kaufusi got the chance to share his experience of the training like tournament which led to two weeks of amazing bonding with fellow referees from other countries in the Pacific.
“First things first as we started our preparation for the tournament, classrooms training was done just to remind some important facts of being a match official such as Safety of Players, Understanding and Reading of the Game, Positioning inside the field during the match and many others. It is matters that has been taught in our own MA, but it was a bit different getting to experience the learning out of our comfort places and it was very good”.
“We understood that the Tournament was a learning experience and not an actual competition so that made it easy for us to actual looked at our own weaknesses and get to improve on it especially my two fellow referees from Tonga, Henry and Felila they are quite younger then me and for them to experience this at such a young age they will certainly be up there as touch line referees on International Competitions”.
“Best thing we got out of this tournament was being able to bond and getting closer with other match officials from other countries and it made our work easier as it enabled us to share our weaknesses and solve it as a team so at the end, we all have the same understanding and I guess this would be great as we can go back and share these new things back at home”.
Kaufusi is a hard-working lad who has always had a dream of becoming a pilot one day, but for now he sees his opportunities in the sport he loves and is always looking for ways of completing he’s childhood dream and get to still become a top referee at the same time. In that he encourages young referees and players who wants to become referees to keep on living their dreams.
“Dear fellow Referees, I want to encourage you all to keep pushing towards your goals. Refereeing can be a challenging and demanding role, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. Remember that every game is an opportunity to learn and grow, and to make a positive impact on the players and the sport. Don’t be discouraged by setbacks or mistakes. Instead, use them as opportunities to reflect and improve. Keep honing your skills, studying the rules, and seeking out feedback from Instructors, fellow referees, and anyone that might help you. Most importantly, never give up on your dreams. Whether it’s reaching the highest level of competition, or simply becoming the best referee you can be, know that with hard work, dedication, and perseverance, you can achieve your goals. So keep blowing that whistle with confidence, stay focused, and never lose sight of what you want to achieve and I know that you have what it takes to succeed.”
Tellos along with Henry and Felila have returned back to their families and are looking forward to officiate at the TFA Youths League this weekend.
End.
