Pacific Games

Team Samoa Chef de Mission, Nynette Sass says athletes will check out from their place of accommodation after completing their events.

“The first wave of athletes checking in and it depends on the sports schedule for first week and second week. So those competing in the first week will come in and check in and do the competition and then check out and then next wave comes in.”

“So in that way we don’t get to overload the system too much,” she said.

To have the students carry the baton brought the communities together in unison, manifesting the slogan of the Samoa 2019 Pacific Games, “one in spirit.” 

The Savai'i leg of the relay will continue on Tuesday and Wednesday before coming to Upolu.

People of all ages flooded the streets as the torch baton for the Games made its way through and the event was live-streamed on Facebook.

Speaking at the ceremony yesterday Samoa's Prime Minister Tuilaepa Malielegaoi thanked China saying the building of the Multi-Sport Centre aligns with the government's vision to grow Faleata as the sports hub of Samoa and the Pacific region.

The Multi-Sport Centre consists of two state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor netball courts built to international specifications. It also has the capacity to host badminton, basketball, table tennis, boxing and other indoor sports.

Titan FX is a technology-driven financial securities dealer, based in Port Vila, working in foreign exchange and commodities, which is keen to support the growth and development of Vanuatu’s leading sports team as it competes on the international stage.

Managing Director Audrius Bernotas believes this partnership is a reflection of the company’s vision as a part of the Vanuatu community.

 “Every employee of Titan FX, expat or local, loves Vanuatu and wants to promote it globally,” he said

About 1,000 volunteers spent five hours around town and at rivers collecting all types of rubbish that was later sorted and collated.

The collected rubbish came from Vaisigano, Loimata o Apaula, Gasegase and Fuluasou, as well as Apia town centre.

Items sorted included:

Duthu has been working on giving the players a lot of exposure to gain experience.

“I’m very positive after that competition. Despite the loss against Samoa for the girls, we have improved in our game compared to last year. We did come to claim the qualification, but also to gain experience and to test our players. It was not easy for some of them, as it was their first time with the National Team, but they did great both on and off the court.”

Technical Delegate Amanda Jenkins says the venue and team preparations are on track.

"It's exciting this is the time first we have qualifying pathways for this event. Any team who underestimates their opponent will be the ones who will not progress."

Jenkins is certain basketball teams from the Oceania region will be putting on their best performances to win a spot in the FIBA Asia Cup Pre-Qualifiers.

National Basketball Development Officer Sacha Duthu says the Asia tournament will be a good platform for the players to gain experience.

“We are going to face professional basketball players and at it will be the same as last year when we participated for the first time. We know that it’s not about losing or winning, but learning to make sure that we will be ready for the Pacific Games, and, with a lot of respect and humility, used to facing better basketball players than the ones that we going face in Samoa.”

The Olympic Council of Asia confirmed at its General Assembly in Bangkok earlier this month that athletes from 17 Oceania nations would be eligible to compete in sports which will serve as joint Asia-Oceania qualifying events for the Olympic Games.

PGC President Vidhya Lakhan was present at the assembly where the OCA President, Sheikh Ahmad, said the next Asiad in Hangzhou, China would expand the relationship between the two regions.

Athletes from the French territory will be free to participate at next year's Pacific Games in Samoa provided an agreement for the selection of its rugby and boxing athletes is honoured.

Tahiti was suspended by the Council's General Assembly in December due to "political interference".

It followed the French Polynesian Government's decision to boycott the 2017 Pacific Mini Games in Vanuatu because of a dispute over which boxers and rugby sevens athletes should represent Tahiti.