Team Samoa returning home with 21 medals from the Pacific Mini Games

By Talaia Mika

APIA, SAMOA – 28 JUNE 2022: Team Samoa is arriving back home at 400 this afternoon placed seventh in the overall medal tally of the Pacific Mini Games 2022 that closed in Saipan last Saturday.

The team won 8 Gold medals, 5 Silvers and 8 Bronze with Papua New Guinea taking the lead in the medal tally out of 19 countries participated.

The nine-day event in the Northern Marianas had a slow start for Team Samoa until Thursday when they claimed 15 medals in just one day comprising 7 Gold, 4 Silver and 4 Bronze medals. As expected, Samoa’s Weightlifters continued to maintain their record-breaking performances.

Weightlifter Medallists
In the 81kg Womens Category, Faustina Tupuola Niusila set a new Oceania Youth Record winning 3 Gold medals with 90kg in the Snatch, 108 Clean and Jerk for a total of 198kg.

Ah Chong won Gold in the 140kg clean and jerk and set a new Oceania Youth record as well.

Lesila Fiapule on Gold in the 87-plus kg division in the snatch – He also won sliver in the clean and jerk and Silver in the overall.

Also young 15 year old Imoasina Pelenato won the bronze at the Oceania Championships 2022.

In the 87-plus kg category, Iuniarra Sipaia, won Gold in the clean and jerk and Gold in her overall total.

Avatu Opeloge won three Bronze medals in the 76kg Women’s category in the snatch, clean and jerk, and the overall total.

In Athletics, William Hunt, Johnny Kry, Pesamino Iakopo and Kelvin Masoe won Silver min the 4 x 100 meters relay.

Pesamino Iakopo won a Silver in the 100m men’s final and 19-year-old Johnny Key came in third for the Bronze medal.

Team Samoa competed in five sports in the Pacific Mini Games that opened on June 17 and closed last Saturday 25 June.