Samoan athletes ready to compete in the 2023 Kukkiwon NZ Cup Champs

Press Release

APIA, SAMOA – 17 AUGUST 2023: With two days till Competition Day, 17 athletes from Samoa are ready to take the mat. A team of 16 traveling athletes from Samoa and 1 New Zealand based athlete make up the 17 athletes representing the Tuiaopo Investments KLAS Taekwondo Club at the NZ Nationals Championships.

The 2023 Kukkiwon Cup – Taekwondo New Zealand National Championships is this weekend, 19 & 20 August taking place at the Barfoot & Thompson Stadium in Auckland.

This is a significant achievement for KLAS Taekwondo Club, they prepare for the Sol2023 XVII Pacific Games in November. Athletes’ ages range from 6-years-old to 29-years-old all covering different grades and weight classes.

The Head Coach, Samoan Olympian, Pacific Games Gold Medalist and Oceania Gold Medalist Leuluaitumua Tapunu’u Kaino Thomsen-Fuataga, this is by far the largest number they have taken to compete in at an international tournament.

“We have come many miles to compete in the New Zealand Nationals to give our students an opportunity to experience what it’s like to fight internationally, but also creating that perspective that there is a whole world out here. Lots of different skills and techniques which our students will be exposed to, they can bring that back home to help hone their craft,” Tapunu’u said.

Tuiaopo Investments KLAS Taekwondo Club together with NZ based Taekwondo clubs and the Tonga National Taekwondo Association.

Samoa and Tonga are the only Pacific Islands competing in the New Zealand National Championships this weekend.

Tongan student, Luisa Fulivai is representing the Tuiaopo KLAS Taekwondo Club and will be competing this weekend.

For a developing island nation like Samoa with less benefits and support for a small sporting body like taekwondo, this trip was made possible with the support of sponsors, and donations through friends and family.

“Nothing comes easy in life, there are always sacrifices to be made to get to where we need to be. I would like to acknowledge the support of our sponsors, friends and families for coming through when we really needed help,” said Tapunu’u.

The Tuiaopo KLAS Taekwondo Club traveling athletes, Coach and Management before departure for New Zealand.

“It means so much more when you leave home and come to a foreign country knowing the full support was given by our own people. The support and love poured into the kids has been surreal so Praise God.”

Ryan Eteuati, is proud to be representing Samoa in the competition this weekend.

“Although near or far, once a Samoan always a Samoan. Each one of us competing has more than one village. And we are all those villages and we are representing them and everyone else in Samoa,” he said.

Ryan is the son of Fuimaono and Teuila Eteuati and he is very excited to be competing alongside his younger brother, Sebastian in the Kukkiwon Cup for the first time ever.

The KLAS TAEKWONDO CLUB Team will be in New Zealand from 14-21 August. They are currently staying at the Ngati Otara Marae, 100R Otara Rd, Otara.

President and Tour Leader: Sala Shan Fuataga
Head Coach: Leuluaitumua Tapunuu Kaino Thomsen-Fuataga
Team Manager: Taupau Alex Mikaele
Assistant Team Manager: Tara Patu-Kasimani