Samoa Wins Gold and Bronze at World Boxing Futures Cup

BANGKOK, THAILAND — Samoan boxer Kealey Perez claimed the gold medal in the women’s 80kg+ division at the 2026 World Boxing U19 Futures Cup on Sunday, concluding a strong international campaign for Team Samoa.

Perez secured the gold after defeating Tuvalu’s Francis Taafaki in an all-Oceania final. This is the first gold medal for Samoa at any world cup boxing event.

The World Boxing U19 Futures Cup is the world’s premier youth boxing tournament and serves as a crucial qualification pathway for the Youth Olympics taking place in Dakar, Senegal, later this year.

Perez’s gold medal led a determined effort by the entire Samoan squad which proved their mettle on the world stage. Anthony Pati delivered a powerhouse run to claim Bronze for Samoa in the men’s 90kg division. Johnsal Semi narrowly missed advancing after a close split decision bout, and Douglas Pati put on a strong display of grit against a taller opponent.

The tournament included a setback for another Samoan hopeful, Daniel Alofipo, whose run ended prematurely in controversy. Alofipo was applying substantial pressure on his Tajikistani opponent, before being forced out of the tournament after receiving an illegal elbow to the temple.

Independent Boxing Samoa Inc. (IBS), the official governing body for the sport in Samoa, oversaw the team’s campaign. The athletes’ performances were the result of weeks-long training camps led by an experienced coaching and training staff that included Vitale Perez, Faumuina To’aletai David Tua, Junior Pati, Faasavalu Pelasio Semi and Leuatea James Schmidt.

IBS President, Tavu’i Mike Lemisio praised the team’s efforts and the foundation they have built for the sport. “The future is very bright for Samoan boxing,” said President Lemisio. “We are incredibly proud of Kealey, our only Tausala at this world cup, for her performance and bringing home the gold. Her historic win also bodes well for our ‘Nafanua – Women in Boxing’ initiative that was launched earlier this year.”

He added, “We took five boxers to this world cup and came back with two medals. We thank the Government of Samoa and SASNOC for their support and these results indicate our commitment to developing young Samoan boxing talent.”

With a successful Youth World Cup campaign concluded, IBS immediately turns its attention to a packed 2026 calendar. Resuming preparations for a series of major upcoming international events, including the Elite World Boxing Cup, the Commonwealth Games, Oceania Championships, Youth Olympic Games and various national grassroots programmes.