Pacific Games

Reverend Apineru Lafai said eight new houses and three school buildings have been built and will be used for accommodating the more than 3,000 athletes and officials.

Reverend Lafai has explained the government gave the church around $US871,000 for the preparations but the church also spent their own money for the purchase of bedding and other items.

He said the government has also given the church over $US500,000 to provide breakfast for the athletes.

The Pacific Games will be held in Apia, Samoa from 7-17 July, with football to be contested from the 8th-20th. A total of twelve countries will be battling it out on four fields at the Toleafoa J. S Blatter soccer fields.

Both men and women’s team include local and overseas based  Samoans.

Women’s assistant coach Leti Aniva Tamasese said her 23 players is made up of 12 overseas players selected at their Auckland trails which saw players coming as far as United States and Australia.

The note is possibly the first in which environmental impact was a consideration in its production. 
Governor Ainuu-Enari said in a press release, the new 10-tala bank note design “celebrates the youth of Samoa and our sporting legacy. Their stories of daily life and the realization of their sporting dreams are told through images placed on the note.” 
The note was designed and printed by De La Rue. It is Samoa’s first with a horizontal face and a vertical back. 

The work, led by the Ministry of Heath, took place early June.

"Fumigation is one of the main priorities of the Ministry of Health and it is also a way we could show support to the Government of Samoa as we prepare for the Games," said Sapati Vasa, Ministry of Health Senior Sanitation Surveillance Officer.

The Games Village will host more than 4,000 athletes and preparation is going well.

"Fumigation deals with the elimination of unwanted pests such as mosquitoes which carry diseases. We are looking at getting rid of their breeding areas," Sapati continued.

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:

Paul Raki, Theresa Magele and Asomua Saili have reached the top grade under the tutelage of Australian grandmaster Frank Frost.

It means they are eligible to compete at the Pacific Games which Samoa will host in its capital Apia between July 7 and 20.

"I'm thankful that Grandmaster Frost is here to do our grading for our black belt so we can qualify for the Pacific Games, and I'm happy to complete this phase," said 16-year-old Magele to the Samoa Observer.

“The standard has really changed. A lot of good players and the young ones coming up,” Falema’i said.

Despite her absence, she is pushing her chances to represent Samoa at the games.

“This is probably the only opportunity I will get. Like to play to play in front of our home crowd in Samoa.”

Falema’i is no ordinary player, She was once a New Zealand rep at the previously vote of the country’s best set four times in a row at the New Zealand Cup Nationals.

“I enjoyed most of the volleyball and travelling and the fellowship with other players,” she said.

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.

Marine litter is a global issue that negatively impacts the environment, people and coastal economies around the world.

In Samoa it is estimated that in 2017 around 9,000 tons of plastic is generated each year. This equates to roughly 3.5 large garbage truck-loads of plastics collected every day. If not managed correctly it could end up in the oceans.  

Beatrice Ott, representing the local family company which operates in construction and engineering, made the cheque presentation to Tagaloa Su’a Faafouina Su’a, director of sponsorship for the Pacific Games.

“We are extremely grateful to the Ott family for their generous donation,” said Tagaloa.

“$100,000 is not a small amount of money and will assist greatly in our preparations as we draw closer to the Games.

“We, at the Pacific Games continue to be overwhelmed with gratitude for the outpouring support from our local businesses.