AFRICAN SPORTS MONTHLY
'Sports is our Business'
  • Home
  • NEWS
  • Radio
  • TV

Samoa makes sporting history as first day of Commonwealth Youth Games competition begins

9/7/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
With the first day of competition about to start, Samoa’s capital is ready for an impactful festival of Commonwealth sporting action at the Vth Commonwealth Youth Games. Following the immersive and impressive Opening Ceremony - the largest-ever cultural performance the Pacific island nation had ever presented featuring 1% of the island’s population as volunteer cast – seven of the nine sports kick off today, Monday 7 September, across two sporting complexes.

The Athletics and Tennis action starts at Apia Park Complex, with Aquatics, Boxing, Lawn Bowls, Squash and Weightlifting all commencing at Tuana’imato Sports Facility. Events include the 100m and 1500m finals of Athletics and 200m Freestyle, 200m Butterfly and 100m Backstroke Swimming finals.

Commonwealth Games Federation Chief Executive David Grevemberg, said: “After a genuinely inspiring opening event, our attention now turns to the field of play and the sporting competition about to take place between our young Commonwealth athletes, many experiencing a multi-sport environment for the very first time. Samoa and its people should be rightly proud of all the work they have done to stage this significant event – and the athletes are ready to deliver clean and impactful sporting performances that engage and inspire Samoa’s crowds and communities”.

The first event will be Lawn Bowls, as the sun rises over three greens at 07.45am, when Northern Ireland play Cook Islands, India play Scotland and Australia take on Malaysia in the Women’s Singles. The first Gold medal is likely to be awarded in Weightlifting in the Women’s 48kg category, with 15-year old Saofaialo Jim from host nation Samoa facing contenders from Australia, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka and Wales.

15 year old Swimmer Sitivi Sooaemalelagi, from Samoa, competing today in 50m Men’s Butterfly and 200m Men’s Butterfly and 200m Men’s Freestyle said: “I can’t wait to start so I can show Samoa how hard we’ve been training. Its very nice to have all the different personalities from all the Commonwealth countries in Samoa. I want the other athletes to see how happy Samoan people are, all the athletes are very welcome here. I hope to make a PB in our pool, I want to make my family and my country proud – I get my strength from God.”

13 year old Ricci Pheaulika Daniel, a Weightlifter from Nauru in the Women’s 53kg category said: “I am feeling good, I’ve been training since I was 9, I enjoy the travel. My biggest motivator is to make my mum and dad proud. I also like the time off school. I like being here in Samoa, I like being in the Commonwealth Youth Games, I get to meet lots of other nations and similar people from the islands like me. I am hoping to win something… something gold.”

There are 16 sessions on the first day of competition across the nine sports presented, with 22 Gold Medals contested in Swimming, Athletics and Weightlifting. The remaining two sports, Archery and Rugby Sevens, start on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.

By: Editor
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013

    Menu

    All
    2014 FIFA World Cup
    Athletics
    Basketball
    Boxing
    Commonwealth Games
    Cricket
    Golf
    Hockey
    Marathons
    News
    Olympics
    Rugby
    Soccer
    Spotlight
    Tennis
    Track And Field
    Volleyball
    Women Soccer
    Wrestling


    Picture

    RSS Feed


    Tweets by ASMONTHLY

Tweet to @ASMONTHLY

Contact Us

    Contact Us

Submit

Donate & Support Our Efforts at African Sports Media Network