The Men's Open national team for Samoa has won the inaugural American Samoa Flag Day Basketball Tournament after defeating ATR in a game that went down to the wire.
Samoa led by head coach, Vaioulu Tominiko took care of business in American Samoa by taking the game within its dying seconds 58 to 60.
The U18 Girls team as well blowing out their finals match with the Swoosh team with a score of 39 to 26.
The tournament has marked something much more important than just the two wins for Team Samoa.
This is the first tournament of its kind and it is one way of establishing a relationship between the two Samoas and develop basketball together.
The win also marked a new era in Samoa Basketball. President Talalelei Pauga, the President of the National Federation has announced his retirement from coaching as he has to focus on management efforts in developing Samoa’s mother body of basketball.
“I take this opportunity to officially announce my retirement from basketball as I hand it over to the likes of Vai and these new champion coaches to take the lead,” he said.
Team Samoa will return home on Tuesday after witnessing the American Samoa Flag Day celebration.