Melbourne Mavericks star goaler Uneeq Palavi will spearhead the Tonga netball team in Glasgow as they make their Commonwealth Games debut.
Palavi, 25, has helped the Tongan Tala qualify for the tournament after the island nation climbed to No.8 in the world rankings.
She will be joined in the side by several returning members from the 2023 Netball World Cup, including captain, former Queensland Firebirds midcourter Hulita Veve, and defender Otolose Fainga'anuku.
Melbourne born to a Samoan mother and Tongan father, Palavi made her name on the international stage during that tournament in South Africa.
She finished as Tonga's top scorer and fourth overall across the championship teams, with the country, boasting a population of just over 100,000, finishing eighth.
A regular this season for the Mavs, who will play in their first Super Netball finals series, Palavi said she was proud to wear the Tongan red and white in Scotland, with the Games getting underway in late July.
"Representing Tonga is my highest honour, as representing any country would be for anyone," Palavi told the Mavericks website.
"This means the absolute world to me and I can't wait to play for all the people back at home.
"I'm not only playing for the last name I carry on my back and the people who held it before me, but also for all the people who never thought playing on the big stage was possible.
"I'm playing for all the little ones watching back home in the islands, seeing that it's possible to be up against the world's best in netball."
The netball competition at Glasgow 2026 features 12 teams competing across two pools, before the semi-finals and medal matches.
Tonga's first match is against Australia on July 25.
TONGA SQUAD:
Alice Cocker, Emma Mateo, Halaevalu Toutaiolepo, Hulita Veve, Isabella Fainga'anuku, Kalolaine Luana Aukafolau, Lavinia Lavea, Leila Tu'inukuafe, Marie Payn, Otolose Fainga'anuku, Sovika Pousini, Uneeq Palavi.
