Samoa

It's been four years since the last East Asia Pacific qualifier in the game's shortest format when Papua New Guinea went through undefeated.

Shane Deitz said the Vanuatu squad has been working hard in preparation since returning from World Cricket League Four in May.

Two teams will advance to the East Asia Pacific Regional Final and Deitz expects all four will fancy their chances.

The success of last year's tournament across Australia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand has opened the door for international games to be showcased in a similar way to the NRL taking clashes to regional areas in Australia throughout 2018.

The annual mid-season Pacific Tests, which have been played since 2013, have been based in Sydney's west for the last five years – an agreement that will continue next season.

Matatia declared the Organising Committee's vision when providing a progress report at the Pacific Games Council (PGC) General Assembly here.

It was the first chance for Pacific Games Associations (PGA) to receive a full run down of Samoa 2019's plans and vision for the event.

Samoa were awarded the 2019 Pacific Games in December as a replacement for Tonga.

It followed Tonga's Government withdrawing from hosting due to financial concerns.

The Pacific Games Council (PGC) are hopeful that by capping the number of events from the 2023 event, the Games would become more sustainable for hosts in the future.

The Games have grown significantly since the first edition in Suva in 1963, where nearly 650 athletes competed in 10 sports in the Fijian city.

There has been a gradual rise in both the number of sports and athletes, with the peak coming at the 2007 Pacific Games, held here in Samoa’s capital Apia.

A total of 5,000 athletes competed in 33 sports at the Games.

The Executive Committee exists to guide the goals and objectives of the network.

New Zealand has been elected the inaugural Chair this year with Tonga as Deputy Chair. 

The inaugural PaCSON meeting took place in Brisbane from the 29 April – 2 May 2018, with over 20 participants from 14 countries: Australia, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Samoa.

They are among nine new posts in Commonwealth countries as part of an expansion of the UK's overseas network announced by the British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.

Speaking at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London, Mr Johnson linked the announcement with the UK's planned exit from the European Union.

He said the new diplomatic posts were in regions which provided "huge potential and opportunity post-Brexit for British businesses".

Britain already has a high commission in Fiji.

The Samoan Quota and the Pacific Access Category resident visas allow for a number of people from five Pacific countries to be selected for New Zealand residence each year, provided they meet the necessary requirements.

Each year up to 1100 Samoan citizens, 250 Tongan and Fijian citizens and 75 Kiribati and Tuvaluan citizens can be selected by ballot to be considered, but a number of applicants who do win a place often have to forfeit it after failing to secure an acceptable job offer.

At his open media session yesterday, Joshua walked out on his interviews with the Kiwi and Samoan contingents - coincidentally the two nations that Joseph Parker fights for.

Speaking to media this morning, Parker's team made it clear that this was no coincidence on Joshua's part.

"Some people are humble, and some people pretend to be humble," promoter David Higgins said.

"For those Kiwi journalists to drive all the way to Sheffield, and for him to walk out and leave them standing - it goes to character."

The projects are thanks to a joint initiative joint initiative of the European Union, the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) and the Pacific Community (SPC). 

The enterprises identified as pilot projects will receive support in the form of technical assistance and equipment meant to enhance competitiveness in the coconut sector. They include Mailelani Samoa Body Care, Samoa Coconut Cluster (SCC), Serendi Coco Samoa Ltd., Women in Business Development (WIBDI), Elcress Agra, and Ambrym Coconut Farmers Cooperative Society Ltd (ACFC).

The Samoa Submarine Cable Company said Samoa, Fiji, and Wallis and Futuna are now inter-connected via the undersea optical fibre system which spans more than 1,470 kilometres.

Samoa's Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Afamasaga Rico Tupa'i, said it's a significant milestone for the project to bring high speed broadband to everyone in Samoa.

The new internet connection is expected to be operational next month.