The Pacific Games Council will be looking into the eligibility of transgender athletes when they meet to review the report of the XVI Games that just ended last night in Samoa.
New Zealand transgender athlete, Laurel Hubbard, created a controversial uproar, during the Games when she competed and won two gold medals in weightlifting.
The gold medal wins stirred debate over gender complaints that the lifter should be allowed to compete against the women.
Swimming's double gold medal winner Brandon Schuster is the ‘Best Male Athlete’ for the Pacific Games XVI.
The President of the Pacific Games Council Mr. Vidhya Lakhan, made the official announcement last night at the closing ceremony at the Apia Park Stadium.
A panel of selected members involved with the Games disclosed their decision shortly before the official closing.
Schuster was recognised for setting the standard for swimming in Samoa.
The Solomon Islands is adding to the theme of unity as a region when it is their turn to host the next Pacific Games in 2023.
Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, announced live by video link on Saturday night during the closing ceremony of the Games at the Apia Park Stadium the theme they have already selected.
‘Challenge. Celebrate. Unite.
Papua New Guinea took an early jump on the scoring board and as the playing quarters ticked over they kept adding the points.
Samoa tried to keep up and overtake but the ladies from PNG were sharp and fast.
Even during warm up the PNGs were in serious medal winning mood that by the end of the first half they were in a comfortable 15 goals lead with a 31 -16 score.
The Solomon Islands is adding to the theme of unity as a region when it is their turn to host the next Pacific Games in 2023.
Swimming's double gold medal winner Brandon Schuster is the ‘Best Male Athlete’ for the Pacific Games XVI.
Kelvin Tuiala Masoe first made his name as a speedster in inter-secondary schools athletics .
Young discus thrower Julia Sanft did not medal in her field event but it did not made her any less excited about her performance on Wednesday at the Apia Park Stadium.
Young discus thrower Julia Sanft did not medal in her field event but it did not made her any less excited about her performance on Wednesday at the Apia Park Stadium.
The 17 year old cannot believe she threw the discus 38 meters, just a little shorter than the medal winning distances of a little over 40m.
Sanft is used to 20-25 meter distances with her throws but the new mark she set was a personal best.
Strength yielded another set of gold medals for Samoa with the strong men of power lifting taking their turn yesterday.
Koale Tasi Taale in the mens 120kg and Oliva Kirisome in the mens +120kg weight divisions lifted gold for Samoa.
The medals boost the medal tally in powerlifting to three, the first by Faustina Niu Sila Opeloge, in the Womens 84 kg division.
Judo Team Manager Travis Lamb with oldest member in Team Samoa Frank Stowers
Team Samoa's oldest team member, Frank Stowers, set a new record of 7 seconds in the two-day XVI Pacific Games Judo Tournament for fastest 'ippon' – the judo move that puts an opponent straight on his back and ends the fight.
Judo Team Manager for Samoa Travis Lamb, told Newsline Samoa, that Stowers, 47, set a record in the tournament held over two days at Gym 1.
When David Katoatau walked away from the Mens 102kg competition yesterday he took with him 2 golds in the clean and jerk and the overall total.
He added silver in the snatch to his overall contribution to the Kiribati medal tally.
But it was a strange outing for him.
One minute he was delighting the crowd with his graceful dancing after a successful lift yet by the time the competition ended he was in agony from a shoulder injury.
Papua New Guinea took an early jump on the scoring board and as the playing quarters ticked over they kept adding the points.
Samoa tried to keep up and overtake but the ladies from PNG were sharp and fast.
Even during warm up the PNGs were in serious medal winning mood that by the end of the first half they were in a comfortable 15 goals lead with a 31 -16 score.
Savai’i turned on the magic as the host island for boxing to inspire 7 gold medal wins from what fans have dubbed the ‘Golden 7’.
Six male and one lone female made history as the first gold medal winners in the only sporting event of the Pacific Games, held on the big island.
Samoa’s gold rush had slowed down after the weightlifting and the local supporters main added medal hopes were on the boxers to pick up the slack.
The boxers delivered big time.
A very rare gold medal win sparked wild jubilations from the home crowd at the Apia Park Stadium yesterday.
Kelvin Masoe made himself a national hero by winning the gold medal in the mens long jump.
The golden feat is exceptional in an event Samoa is not known for.
Athletics is not in the same powerhouse status as weightlifting and boxing for the host country.
The Apia Park Stadium exploded into wild celebrations today from the home fans, when Samoa struck a rare golden moment in track and field events.
Kelvin Masoe made himself a national hero by winning the gold medal in the mens long jump.
The golden feat is exceptional in an event Samoa is not known for.
Athletics is not in the same powerhouse status as weightlifting and boxing for the host country.
A last minute pull out by three of the EFKS Church Schools included in the Games Opening Ceremony has caught off guard the Ministry of Education as the organisers.
More than 300 students from Maluafou, Leulumoega and Papauta colleges of the EKS Church were pulled out of the 2000 plus entertainment contingent of college students.
The EFKS Church schools are the only ones to pull out in protest at the Games opening on a Sunday.
Very few single use plastic water bottles turned up in the waste collected from sports venues and that is welcoming news for the plastic free and greening of the Pacific Games campaign.
Papua New Guinea's Rugby League 9s Team Captain and silver medallist Gahuna Silas says everything about Samoa is "really fantastic."
Silas led his team to the final in a tough match with Fiji who claimed the gold medal in Week 1 of the XVI Pacific Games.
After PNG got the rugby league 9s contest out of the way, Silas and his team were seen out and about in Apia over the weekend.
When the Prime Minister Tuilaepa stepped aside for a certain bronze medal to give the opportunity to a young archer, he gave up his chance of taking a medal home from the XVI Pacific Games.
Long after the Pacific Games XVI hype is finally settled, the name Brandon Schuster, will continue to ripple in the pools of swimming competition in Samoa.
The double gold medalist at the Tuanaimato Aquatic Centre is without any doubt, the name and face now associated with the sport of swimming in Samoa.
The University of Sydney 20 year old Samoan student, Sosefina So'oaemalelagi of Maugafiafia, Leulumoega and Ulutogia, is confident Team Samoa will medal in the triathlon race.
After close to five months, since taking up the sport, So'oaemalelagi confided in Newsline Samoa that her passion for the grueling three-part race is inspired by her family.
Reverend Elder Tautiaga Senara retires with a deep sense of satisfaction that he has served his full term of being a church minister of the EFKS Church and was still at the helm of the largest church in Samoa.
At least with that South African lady runner, she was born a woman. The only problem is she had too much ‘man–like’ chemical substances in her body or whatever it was the real women complained about.
This kiwi weightlifter who bettered our golden girl Feagaiga Stowers was legally born a man.
Here’s what the doctor prescribed after noting the unbelievable medal haul by the weightlifters up to yesterday……gold medal soup
The silver and bronze medals are flavouring ingredients.
How does that sound?
….and in rugby…! The angels above Samoa are resting a little easier today. No worries about holding down all the church roofs in the country from being blown into the sky by the force of the singing congregation.
Samoa didn’t win the gold in 7s rugby so the voices of rejoicing will not be breaking any sound barriers today.
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