NEWSROOM: 02 September - 08 September 2007

Safe Games Campaign creates community discussion
08 September 2007 - Source: Samoa Aids Foundation

The Safe Games Campaign has been ongoing throughout the South Pacific Games here in Samoa, and has created some interesting discussion from the Pacific Community here for the Games.

The Safe Games Kits were distributed to athletes and team officials on their arrival at the athlete’s villages, and it was amazing to see a large number of athletes wearing the bags around the town. Neli Wightman, Safe Games Committee Secretary said ‘It has been so exciting seeing the athletes putting to use the bags and the water bottles which can be seen all over the town, sports complex’s and athletes villages. I was especially excited to see them being worn during the opening ceremony, this has been great exposure for the Campaign.’

Though the use of the backpacks and the water bottles is evident wherever one goes during the Games, whether the athletes have used the other products inside the bag remains to be seen. Evaluation of the Campaign is taking place, where athletes are urged to fill out evaluation forms about the Campaign, answering questions about their knowledge of sexual health issues, and usefulness of the Campaign and its products, such as the condoms.

Although the bags were minus the female condoms, this seemed to create more discussion of what these new safe sex items were and how they were meant to be used. Wightman also said ‘It didn’t matter that the female condoms were not included in the bags. People were still able to access them from a variety of access points, and they did so, with almost half of the 5000 female condoms imported for the Games, being handed out on request of some very curious members of the community. It actually seemed to create more interest about them which was great news for the Campaign, and for people being able to have more options when it came to safe sex practices’

There have also been rumours of Team Fiji having to hand back the male condoms to their team officials. This proves that there is a long way to go with creating safe dialogue in the Pacific region surrounding sexual health issues.

Peer Educators Out and About!

Peer educators have been seen out and about at venues and accommodation, and of course at the Safe Games Zone booths in town and at the athlete’s villages. Peer education is about providing people with an access point for information and referral on a certain topic, this being anything related to enjoying a Safe Games.

The peer educators have been trained by the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development, from the Division of Youth, and the help of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and are armed with knowledge and skills of HIV/AIDS and other STI, and outreach communication skills. They have worked tirelessly to answer many people’s questions about sexual health and safe sex. The peer educators have visited all venues and spoken to a large number of people.

Condom Erection an unfortunate flop for the Safe Games Campaign

While the Campaign itself has been creating some interesting community discussion about access to information and safe sex equipment, differing religious views and sexual health topics, the erection of the giant condom that was speculated to occur last week, did not happen due to technical difficulties.

Wightman commented saying ‘It is indeed a shame that we were unable to erect the condom, as we knew there was much anticipation of its erection. Unfortunately there were a few technical issues which made it impossible to put it up, which shows that putting up a condom, no matter how big or small it is takes preparation, and planning. All jokes aside it would have been interesting to see what reactions would have happened when it did go up.’

Wightman also confirms that there was no pressure from any organisation not to put it up, and that this was definitely not the reason it did not happen, in spite of some speculation that this was the reason the condom was not erected.
 

Samoa takes bronze in men's 4x100m medley relay
07 September 2007 - Source: Michelle Malone

The crowd was electric as Samoa thundered down the pool, battling it out in the last event of the competition. Screaming, shouting, applauding and letting off hooters, spectators urged on their favourite team. Competing in the men's 4x100m medley relay against strong rivals New Caledonia, Tahiti, PNG, American Samoa and Guam, Samoa were determined.

With New Caledonia and Tahiti streaming out in front, the fight for Bronze was on. Papua New Guinea was swimming strongly, with Guam not far behind them; this was the moment Samoa had to make it their night.

A spectacular roar erupted as Team Samoa hit the pad, taking out third place and making history for their country.

With tears in her eyes, overwhelmed coach Sharon Smith said, "I'm so excited. What a great high to finish on! They've all worked really hard and deserve the credit."

Never expecting to win medals, Team Samoa were thrilled with their two bronze medals.

"One for the boys and one for the girls!" Smith exclaimed.

"It's very exciting," said third swimmer Raea Khan. "We thought that Guam might take us out, but we knew if we had a big lead we would be alright. Luckily we caught up to Papua New Guinea."

Speaking of team-mates Dane Chan, Chanel Silao, and Joshua Marfleet, Khan said "Everyone tried their hardest".

"Wasn't that awesome." Silao's mother Veronica exclaimed. "A good closing".

"This was well worth the trip," Silao's father Mark said. "We look forward to the team coming together again in the future."

After six days of intense competition, swimming at their personal best, Samoa's Swim Team can now relax, enjoy the moment, and admire their medals.
 

First time Tokelauans enjoying the games
06 September 2007 - Source: South Pacific Games Committee

The XIIIth South Pacific Games mark the first time that Tokelau has entered a va'a team for competition. Despite not being the strongest of competitors, the team is relishing their time at the games.

The fifty two member team consists of thirteen female rowers and twenty male rowers with the rest of the team made up of coaching staff and management. Most of the team has travelled outside of Tokelau before but all of them still live and train for their sport in their homeland.

According to Assistant Coach Peter Petelo, "we are all amateurs and have really developed our training routines according to traditional techniques and word of mouth. We know that we may not be as good as the other teams but we are just happy to be here competing."

Tokelau took possession of three va'a canoes about two years ago. The vessels were funded by the United Nations Development Programme and were procured from New Zealand. Each of the Tokelauan atolls has taken possession of one of the canoes, to ensure that as many people as possible have the opportunity to become involved in the sport.

Team Tokelau has entered crews into five different events; the V1 Mens 500m sprint, V6 Men's and Women's 2500m sprint and V6 Men's and Women's 500m sprint. The team members are varied in age and experience in the sport. The eldest rower is Filipo Pelesa, who is fifty one years of age.

Assistant Coach Petelo, who returned to his homeland from New Zealand 12 months ago, said that the team loves Samoa. “It is a great holiday for them and a fantastic way to showcase their talents and learn from the other more experienced rowers. We have picked up a great deal of training tips just by being here that we can take home and use."

After the first round of heats today, Tokelau had not progressed through to the finals in any of their events. Despite these results the team is looking forward to competing in the men's and women's 500m sprint events tomorrow morning.
 

Samoan women’s tennis team strike gold
05 September 2007 - Source: South Pacific Games Committee

The tentative agenda for the day had all matches being completed by 1:30pm, with a short break for a medal ceremony, and then the individual competitions would begin. By 1:30pm we would know who would be taking home the gold, silver, and bronze for the women's team event.

However, what started off being a 6-7 hour continuous match play lasted well into the evening. This was largely due to the incomparable performance from Samoa's endearing tennis champ, Dengue Soonalole-Taosoga.

Today, Samoa went head to head with their long time rivals from New Caledonia in the women's team event. S. Diluccio got things started with a win over M. Ah Hoy in a 1st set score of 6-4. Diluccio's run, however, was quickly countered by Ah Hoy's ability to capitalise on Diluccio's errors in the second set ending with a score of 6-4, which then forced them into a 3rd set.

Unfortunately, after a whole lot of serves, kills, and lobs, Diluccio ended and won the match with a final score of 6-2. Ah Hoy displayed grace in her defeat. Fans rooting for Team Samoa applauded as she came off the courts showing their support.

If Samoa was to have any chance at the gold for women's team event, Dengue had to win her singles match against New Caledonia's Elodie Rogge. The pressure was on, but Dengue was focused and very determined to win. Every seat in the stand was filled and people lined up outside the fence of the tennis compound to cheer her on. Dengue later commented that she thrives on the energy of the home crowd and this contributed to her victory.

Elodie Rogge demonstrated her fitness in being able to get to, and returning a lot of Dengue's shots. However, the number of double faults and shots into the net really hurt her. The match ended in 2 sets 6-4 6-4. The team who would walk off with the gold would now be determined by the winner of the doubles match to follow.

By this time, the crowd had gone wild, cheers and screaming could be heard from the Apia Park rugby field and beyond. Since Maylani and Dengue are the defending gold medallist for women's doubles, Samoa was very confident that the gold was theirs.

No one moved from their seats, in fact, more and more spectators began to fill the compound and even stood outside of the courts because there was no available seating, which was fine with them. The doubles match was slated for 5:30pm because Dengue was entitled to an hour or so of "suitable rest" in preparation for her doubles match.

By 6pm the deciding doubles match was underway. Dengue and Maylani confirmed for the crowd why they are the reigning doubles champs. Their chemistry on the court was infectious and soon the crowd was in sync with the pair. The match was a blow-out, with Samoa sealing the deal with a 2 set victory 6-1 6-3.

Congratulations to Samoa's women's tennis team on striking gold!.
 

Manu Samoa arrive in France
04 September 2007 - Source: Samoa Rugby Football Union Press Release

The Manu Samoa team arrived in Paris on Friday after almost three weeks at the prestigious sports university, London’s Loughborough University.

Head coach La’auli Michael Jones says the Manu’s final training camp at Loughborough has been invaluable preparation for the World Cup campaign. It had given the team the best possible build-up to do well at the 2007 tournament.

However, the build-up has come at a cost. Prop Donald Kerslake and Lock/No. 8 Filipo Levi have both been ruled out with injuries. Kerslake (broken ribs) and Levi (eye) have been replaced by Alfie Tooala and Tanielu Fuga respectively. Both replacement players play professionally in Europe and are available. Despite the injuries La’auli says he was happy with how the squad performed at their three-week training camp and is looking forward to their first-up match with South Africa.

The camp helped the Manu achieve five important goals says La’auli: improving match fitness after many of the squad had not played since June, testing team combinations, cementing selections for the first match, introducing elements of their game plan, and building team morale.

In a previous interview, La’auli outlined why Loughborough was crucial, “People know what to expect from Samoa so we cant sneak up on them like we did in 2003. They know what we can do what we’re capable of. So we are approaching every game as a target.”

“We have to target the South African game and try and roll them. Then we have to get past Tonga, who are very similar to us and can cause an upset. They play the same way and they could beat us, then we have to play England six days later. In 2003 we got our easy pool games out of the way first and then stepped up against England, but this time we have to be ready to go from the first game and that’s why Loughborough was so important.”

Samoa's first match against South Africa (RSA) is on Sunday, 9 September at the Parc des Princes in Paris.

On the social side, Su’a P. Schuster by email wrote, “The team attended church service in the morning, had lunch and a sightseeing tour of Paris. The team visited Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and the Louvre museum. Manu Samoa was accorded a special opportunity to witness the original painting of Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. It was ‘Awesome stuff’.”

Su’a went on to write, “…there is a lot of interest in the RWC in France and the Manu Samoa team was greeted with interest by people at the sites visited.”

Messages from well-wishers are pouring in which the team is grateful for and drawing inspiration from. Well wishers can send email messages through to tours_events@srfu.ws, sruoffice@srfu.ws or fax messages to the following numbers:

Base Camp Paris: 31 August – 25 September
Courtyard by Marriot, 58 Boulevard Victor Hugo, 92200 Neuilly Sur Seine, Paris, France
Fax: (+33) 1 55636466

Match 2 - Mercure Antigone: 15 - 17 September
285 Boulevard de l'Aeroport, 34000 Montpellier, France
Fax: (+33) 4 67206364

Match 3 - Mercure Ile de Nantes: 21 - 23 September
15 Boulevard Alexandre Millerand, 44200 Nantes, France
Fax : (+33) 2 40482383

Match 4 - La Charpiniere: 25 - 27 September
La Charpiniere, 42330 Saint Galmier, France
Fax: (+33) 4 77541879
Email: charpiniere.hot.rest@wanadoo.fr

MANU SAMOA RWC GAMES:

FRENCH TIME (SAMOAN TIME)
• South Africa – 9th Sept 2007, Paris at 4:00pm (Sunday 9 September, 3.00am)
• Tonga – 16th Sept 2007, Montpellier at 4:00pm (Sunday 16 September, 3.00am)
• England – 22nd Sept 2007, Nantes at 4:00pm (Saturday, 22 September, 3.00am)
• USA – 26th Sept 2007, St Etienne at 6:00pm (Wednesday, 26 Sept, 3.00am)
• QF 1 & 3 – 6th & 7th Oct , Marseille 3:00pm (Sat 6 Oct 2.00am/Sun 7 Oct 2.00am)
• SF 1& 2 -13th & 14th, St Denis Paris 9:00pm (Sat 13 Oct 2am/Sun 14 Oct 2.00am)
• Final 20th Oct 2007, Paris 9:00pm (Saturday 20 October, 8.00am).
 

Business of the Week: Lewis Installation
03 September 2007 - Source: eventpolynesia.com

On the 9th of August 2002, Lewis Installation was born in Auckland New Zealand. Peter Lewis owned a 100% share of the company. He started off alone with only one van and himself.

By May 2003 work was too demanding and he couldn't cope with the amount of work coming through, so Peter start hiring technical staff and bought another van.

At the beginning of 2004 more clients were interested in Lewis Installation services because of word of mouth from many of their existing clients. More staff were hired and more vehicles were added to the fleet.

In October of 2005 Lewis Installation expanded to Wellington, due to a request from Sony New Zealand, to assist their showroom by way of installing of their expensive units sold to customers in Wellington.

In December 2006 Lewis Installation expanded to Samoa, opening their first retail shop at Vaitele tai, selling quality products like appliances and electrical items such as televisions, home theatre systems, and many more. Lewis Installation offers factory warranty on new products and their own three month warranty for the second-hand products they sell.

Currently Lewis Installation employs a total of 23 staff in New Zealand, with 10 vehicles in the fleet and 3 staff working in Samoa. Lewis Installation currently contract to some of the biggest retailers in New Zealand; Harvey Norman, Sony New Zealand and many more.
 

Person of the Week: Fa'antasi Fa'auuu'li
02 Septembert 2007 - Source: Fa'antasi Fa'auuu'li

Fa'antasi Fa'auuu'li of Samoa scored ippon (full point score wins match) in his first fight for today.

Fa'auuu'li fought Solomon Islander Tony Iomo in the under 60kg men's judo competition, where Fa'uuu'li threw Iomo onto his back to score ippon.

"I did not think about losing; I only focus on winning in a fight, I did not think about him scoring more points during the fight," said Fa'uuu'li.

Fa'uuu'li trains alongside Iuma Su'a under their Chinese coach, Jianli Feng. Fa'auuu'li and Su'a do not speak Mandarin, and Feng does not speak Samoan or English; they communicate through their translator, Sophy Chen.

Fa'uuu'li has been training for this competition since September 2006 and has been learning judo for two years.

Fa'auuu'li does judo technical training everyday as well as fitness training. When he is not training, Fa'uuu'li works as a chef at Aggie’s Hotel in Apia. He hopes to win a medal at these games.
 

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