The Cook Islands are still in the running for a place in the Netball World Youth Cup 2025, despite suffering a defeat to Tonga on the second day of the Oceania World Youth Cup Qualifier held at the National Sports Arena in Nikao.
After an impressive victory against Papua New Guinea, where they won 63-45, the Cook Islands faced Tonga in their quest for a top-three finish necessary to qualify for the World Cup.
The match against Tonga was fast-paced but ended with Tonga claiming a convincing 66-44 victory.
In other matches, the Fiji Baby Pearls faced a strong performance from the Tifa Moana Samoa under 21 team, losing their initial match 51-32.
The Fiji team, coached by Simone Nalatu, is set to play again today against Tonga Tala at 5:15 pm.