At the beginning of Week 2 of the 16th Pacific Games in Samoa, we now have 7 medals: four silver and three bronze.
Weightlifter Tanumafuili Jungblut won two silver, placing second in the clean and jerk division and second overall, and shot putter Nuuausala Tuilefano also clinched a silver in her event. The first silver was won by swimmer Tilali Scanlan in the 50 meter breast stroke.
The fourth bronze medal was won by swimmer Tilali Scanlan in the 100 meter breast stroke Saturday night. 
The other bronze medals were won in women’s volleyball and our women’s tennis players Kalani Soli and Charity Sagiao.
In results from play yesterday in women’s tennis singles Charity Sagiao and Kalani Soli both won their matches and our mixed doubles team Kalani Soli and Christian Duchnak also won.
Our soccer teams however lost their matches yesterday. Our girls went down to Tonga 12-0 and our men’s team lost to Solomons,13-0.
Our men’s volleyball team lost to PNG 3-0. And our netball team lost to the top seeded PNG team 116-10.
Our women’s basketball team is still undefeated in their pool and is headed to the semi finals.
Also from the Games, it has been confirmed by the Acting President of the American Samoa Rugby Union Falefata Moli Lemana that Annie Coffin, the head coach of the Women’s Rugby Team has been asked to step down.
Coffin was captured on a video which was posted on Facebook reaching for a player’s neck.
Falefata who is also the Chef de Mission of Team American Samoa to the Pacific Games said that he made the decision to ask for Coffin’s resignation after the incident.
Meanwhile Samoa Observer quotes the Secretary General of the American Samoa National Olympic Committee, Ethan Lake saying that Coffin allegedly held the player on the chin which he said should not have happened.
The newspaper quotes him saying the coach should never under any circumstances touch the athletes.
He added there were a lot of factors at play which led to the altercation that was captured in the video.
“The challenge is this. Not that I am defending Annie but it is complicated. All the younger players are listening yet we have these adult players and they think that because you’re an adult you can do whatever you want. That is not the case when you’re an athlete. You have to respect the coach,“ stated Lake.
He described the incident as “unfortunate.” He said he spoke to the coach, rugby players and the athlete involved and “while I don’t condone what happened, but people lose their temper at times.”
In other news from the Pacific Games, American Samoa was unsuccessful in its efforts to host the 2015 Pacific Mini Games because its bid was deemed non compliant.
The Executive Board of the Pacific Games Council found that high level government support was not included in the bid, and deadlines to meet government endorsement was not met.
Lt Governor Lemanu Peleti Mauga attended the council meeting in Apia Sunday and declared the American Samoa Government’s support for the games.
However, the Executive Board’s recommendation to award the Games to Palau which had met all of the requirements, was endorsed.
And there was no vote.
Palau hosted the Games in 2005 and plans to refurbish most of their existing facilities over the next few years.
