American Samoa is sending a 59-member delegation to the Pacific Mini Games in Palau, set to begin on June 29 and will run for two weeks.
According to Vaiala Ethan Lake, Secretary General of the American Samoa National Olympic Committee (ASNOC), the contingent includes 54 athletes and coaches, along with five administrative officials.
American Samoa will compete in six sports: women’s softball, women’s indoor volleyball, men & women’s beach volleyball, triathlon, weightlifting, and wrestling. The Chef de Mission is Lisi Fa’agata.
Each team had to raise funds for their own airfare, with ASNOC covering all other costs such as accommodation, meals, travel insurance, uniforms and other expenses. To offset the high cost of travel, ASNOC also provided an additional $50,000 in airfare subsidies. A roundtrip ticket to Palau costs over $3,000 per person.
When asked about funding assistance from the American Samoa Government (ASG), Lake explained that ASG has contributed some financial support directly to a few individual teams. ASNOC has not received direct funding from the government at this stage, but Lake expressed hope for some financial help from ASG.
Half of the delegation will depart next Monday, June 23, and the rest will leave the following evening. Both groups are traveling Hawaiian Airlines to Honolulu, then continue with United Airlines to Guam and on to Palau.
Team American Samoa will be presented to the public at the National Olympic Day celebration this Saturday at Utulei Beach Park. ASNOC invites the public to attend.
A church service to seek God’s blessings for the team will be held on Sunday at the Nu’uuli CCCAS Church, beginning at 6 p.m.
