2019 Pacific Games

Faatamalii Jenny Lauano, assistant CEO of Samoa’s Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture, welcomed all participating athletes, officials and schools who were part of the event.

“Each of the schools participating in today’s ceremony have adopted a country to represent during our flag raising ceremony,” she told the team delegations. “They have learnt your respective culture, your languages and your traditional dances as tribute to all our wonderful countries participating in the Games.”

The group, including the women’s football team, arrived in Apia on Monday and have been anxiously awaiting this opportunity.

According to their management official, William Workworkon, they were looking forward to a friendly match with Samoa on Thursday at the SIFA soccer field, to mark the occasion.

During the Games, football will be played in the first and second weeks at the JS Blatter Football Complex, Faleata. The medal matches will be played on 20 July - the final day of Samoa 2019. 

For those involved in one of the momentous occasions in the history of what is considered the ‘Miracle Games’ this is described as an “unexpected blessing.”

With such a short time for Samoa to organise the Games, the people have taken the challenge on board and are working hard to ensure the opening ceremony is a success.

Students from different schools and districts around Samoa are working and blending together with one another – and portraying the slogan of the Samoa 2019 Pacific Games, ‘one in spirit.’

“To be honest, I am very happy and honoured to captain the national team once again and I’m looking forward to leading the boys to the Pacific Games,” said Foster.

“It will be a challenging task for me to lead this bunch of boys, especially without regular captain David Muta and David Browne who were ruled out due to injury.

“However, I have been given a lot of support from my other senior teammates, including Koriak Upaiga, Raymond Gunemba, Daniel Joe, Nigel Dabinyaba and Alwin Komolong which takes a load off from my shoulders and I am playing the role well.

About 3,500 athletes from 24 nations across the region will compete in 26 sports from next Monday.

Samoa was only awarded the hosting rights in September 2017 after the Tongan government claimed it could not afford to stage the event.

But Pacific Games Council CEO Andrew Minogue says the Pacific Games Office in Samoa has done a very good job in a very short amount of time to ensure everything is ready to go.

"The organising committee opened for business on the 1st of March last year so really it's only 15 or 16 months," he said.

New Caledonia and American Samoa teams are taking part at Fagalii Golf Course, Apia, with the Samoan squad also competing as its final trial before selections are made for the Games.

The Samoa Open, played over three days, sees professional and seniors compete for a total of AUD$95,000 in prize money. It is also a test event for the Pacific Games.

With ten days before the Games open, David Barker, the technical delegate for Golf, said the course has already improved in the past week, with more regular mowing to make for faster greens.

Vanuatu Table Tennis team achieved gold in the Van2017 games in Vanuatu and Mr Napuat has called on the team to maintain its status quo and make Vanuatu proud by winning more gold medals.

“We feel it is important that we support our local and national sporting organisations and are honoured to continue our commitment to the sport,” he said.

The Vanuatu Table Tennis team will depart Port Vila next week to compete in the Pacific Games from the 8 – 13 July 2019.

Chairman Syd Yates said coach Paul Tietjens has given the wider training squad, which has been in intense training since returning from the April Hong Kong 7s, every opportunity to make the final team.

Injuries, fitness levels, performance in game situation, attitude on and off the field, commitment and dedication to training, were among the factors that were used to name the final team.

This has been confirmed by the Team Samoa Chef de Mission, Nynette Sass at a podcast training workshop for a group of journalists that is being conducted by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

“Our officials will be present at the games and will walk up to athletes that won their events, say if they win gold, the official will come up to them and tap their back to tell them to take the test. If the athletes refuse, they have to have a valid reason like they have another event to attend to. If not, officials will be on their backs till they take the test,” Sass said.

Among the firsts is the announcement that for the first time in Games history SKY New Zealand will be joining established Games partners EMTV, Fiji TV, France TV and Vanuatu TV for the Host Broadcast.

“We are excited to announce that for the first time in Games history SKY New Zealand will be joining established Games partners EMTV, Fiji TV, France TV and Vanuatu TV, who have contributed significant equipment and crew to ensure we get live coverage from six (6) venues simultaneously,” said Falefata Hele Matatia, CEO of Pacific Games Office.