Samoan Weightlifters Not Following Coffa

Written by Astrid Sesega
Sunday, 25 November 2007
(top) Tuaopepe with the Opeloge family - Samoa's champion weightlifting family. (top right) Oceania Weightlifting coach, Paul Coffa Samoas weightlifting stars will not be following Oceania coach Paul Coffa when he leaves for New Caledonia after the Weightlifting World Cup this week. Since Coffa’s announcement that he will be leaving there has been speculation as to whether or not Weightlifters such as Opeloge duo Ele and Niusila will be going as well. Instead, President of the Samoan Weightlifting Association, Tuaopepe Jerry Wallwork has revealed plans for a Samoan Institute of Weightlifting. This will be similar to the Oceania Weightlifting Institute which is currently run by Coffa. Tuaopepe says the have already got ‘the ball rolling’ on this project to ensure the Samoan lifters are still training once Coffa leaves. “Paul [Coffa] is leaving and we can’t look back now. “We have a wonderful facility, one of the best in the world, which we want to maintain.” Backing the initiative is the Government of Samoa and the Government of the Peoples Republic of China as both governments accepted the proposals presented. It is hoped by Tuaopepe that they will secure a Chinese coach that will be committed to Samoa for the next four years up until the 2012 Olympic Games. “We are hoping to get elite coaches from China. “They will be based here for the next four years.” “They [the Chinese] are the best Weightlifters in the world,” says Tuaopepe who continued by explaining that Samoa’s lifters could benefit greatly from this kind of training. China currently, and has in the past, produced the strongest Weightlifters in the World and having World Class Coaches in Samoa could really advantage those lifters in Samoa who are on the verge of World glory. These coaches will be looking towards the 2012 Olympics, for the likes of Ele Opeloge, this is where she will shine and win Samoa’s first ever Olympic Weightlifting Medal should she continue heading in the direction she is currently training in. It is hoped by Tuaopepe, the Samoa Institute will become a professional academy and recognised by the Oceania National Olympic Committee. They also plan to have the institute available to neighbouring Pacific Islands in order for their athletes to be sent over to Samoa to train instead of going all the way to New Caledonia. “Why shouldn’t they been given the opportunity to come to Samoa on scholarship?” Tuaopepe asks. Tuaopepe is optimistic the institute will be a great accomplishment stating the Samoan team is ‘very strong’. “All the athletes are determined to make this a success,” he explained. Because of this he will be putting Coffa up to a challenge, in twelve months time he hopes to have a competition, the Oceania Weightlifting Institute up against the Samoan Weightlifting Institute. He says he is going to announce the challenge to Coffa once the World Cup has concluded. The institute will be finalised by December and Tuaopepe anticipates it will be up and running by January next year. In the meantime the athletes will be continuing to use the facilities for their training six days a week. “They never stop training.” Comments (1) Subscribe to this comment's feed THUMBS UP FOR TUAPEPE written by ERANA DJ ALIK, November 26, 2007 I JUST WANNA SAY I REALLY ADMIRED MR.TUAOPEPE'S GREAT DETERMINATION IN STRIVING FOR BEST OF HIS PEOPLE..THAT SOUNDS REALLY TYPICAL ISLANDERS...GO FOR IT!! Write comment Name Email Title Comment
Last Updated ( Sunday, 25 November 2007 )

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