People
Oceania Weightlifting Institute & Academy Opens in Samoa
By Lagi Keresoma/
Apia, Samoa – 17 February 2025 – Samoa has reaffirmed its position as “the heart of weightlifting” in the Oceania region with the opening of the Oceania Institute & Academy for Weightlifting last Saturday at the Tuana’imato Sports Complex.
Speaking at the launch of the Institute & Academy in the weekend, Paul Coffa, a well-known figure in the sport and the General Secretary for the Commonwealth Weightlifting Federation, called Samoa the “heart of weightlifting” then shared a brief history of weightlifting development in the Pacific and Oceania.
The late Seiuli Paul Wallwork was the President of the Oceania Weightlifting Federation and 23 years ago, Seiuli with Coffa opened a small Oceanian Weightlifting Institute in Fiji and operated by Coffa and his wife with athletes from around the Pacific training there.
In the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, Pacific and Oceanian athletes started winning medals and since then, they never looked back.
“Weightlifting became the leading sport of the Pacific, and no other sport match the performance of our athletes,” Coffa said.
Then they ascended to the Olympics Games which was not easy competing against the best from the world.
The only Gold won by a Pacific athlete was in 1984, 41 years ago; then Ele Opeloge of Samoa won a silver medal in the 2008 Olympic in China and that was another success story.
“For this part of the world, weightlifting is second best to rugby,” Coffa said.
Corona virus played a major part in the closure of the institute in Fiji in 2020.
The opening of the Institute & Academy in Samoa is the birth of a new year and thanks to Prime Minister and Government of Samoa, the International Weightlifting Federation, the Oceania National Olympic Committee, and other international weightlifting bodies for considering the future benefits for youths in this Oceania region.
Former weightlifting Gold medalist, and now the Speaker of the Nauru Parliament, Marcus Stephen accepts a souvenir presented by the President of the Commonwealth Weightlifting Federation, Paul Coffa & Samoa’s Weightlifting Federation President, Tuaopepe Jerry Wallwork.
World weightlifters to train here
“The establishment of the Institute & Academy will look at promoting cultures, referees to the international level and training camps are a major part of the development strategy,” said Coffa.
Athletes expected to be trained in Apia will not be limited to the Oceania region but from around the world and already athletes from Uganda and Canada will train here in preparation for the Olympics.
“There will also be international tournaments planned to be held in Samoa and healthy athletes are expected from this world class Institute & Academy.”
He is certain that this Institute & Academy will not provide 3 medals from international competitions but 6 and hope to achieve that in the next Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow.
Decades of hard work achieved
The President of the Samoa Weightlifting Federation, Tuaopepe Jerry Wallwork said the launch is truly a historical and significant day for weightlifting in the Oceania Sports in Samoa.
“It is a day where power players of weightlifting in the world travelled from great distances to honour us with their presences, giving us the recognition and encouragement for the work done for many decades and we are enormously grateful,” said Tuaopepe.
He said the Institute & Academy will be a haven where teams come together to train and where technical officials have the opportunity to progress to international level through seminars and workshops
“We are grateful to the IWF for their trust and encouragement,” he said.
“We are proud, we are united and strong on a vision firmly focus on success, and I acknowledge the Samoan Government for their huge support for many years and the foresight for this Institute & Academy to be based in Samoa, ” he said.
Tuaopepe Jerry Wallwork acknowledging the Samoa Government, International Weightlifting Federation & all involved in choosing Samoa as the home for the Institute & Academy.
Samoa 5th country to host a Weightlifting Institute & Academy
Samoa is the first country in this part of the world to host such an Institute & Academy for weightlifting.
Out of the 7 continents, 5 host Weightlifting Institute & Academy with Samoa being the latest addition.
IWF President Dr. Mohhamed Jalood is known for uniting and keeping the sport clean and he acknowledged the Samoan Government and all weightlifting international bodies involved in ensuring the institute is realized.
China in Asia, Europe, Cuba in South America, Egypt in Africa and now Samoa in Oceania and Jalood acknowledged those who work hard to choose the right place, Samoa for the Institute & Academy.
He said IWF gives full support for this region and what he finds is people in this region are fighters and face challenges and will go out of their way to achieve their dreams.
He said in the upcoming Commonwealth Games, only 10 sports have been finalised and weightlifting is one of them.
Bringing the world together to support the Oceania region
Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa said Samoa is honoured by the highest re-presentation from around the world to witness this milestone event.
“The role of the Government is to develop sports especially the culminating today of the launch of the Weightlifting Institute & Academy,” she said.
“I see so many faces who had been working at sports, committing time to build weightlifting in the Oceania, and I have witnessed the growth of sports and dedication to sports which brings together international bodies to assist the region,” she said.
Samoa’s commitment to the development of all sports is evident in the establishment of a dedicated Ministry of Sports with its own Minister.
After the formalities, then a presentation of souvenirs and a tour around the campus and facilities to be used for training.
