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Boys Under-19 Handball team pulls out a win

The American Samoa Under-19 Boys and Girls team competing in this year’s International Handball Federation (IHF) for the Continental trophy in Wellington, New Zealand will be arriving back into the territory Sunday morning at 8 a.m. after a week of competition. Even though the American Samoa boys and girls teams will be coming home empty handed trophy-wise, their coaches and referees went through certification classes and that’s a real plus for the fledgling sport here in the territory.

 

In their next to last game, the boys team lost by one point to Papua, New Guinea with a score of 18-17. In the boys’ last game against Cook Islands, they defeated the Cook Islanders by a score of 31-19 for their first and only win of the tournament.

 

“I am very happy that that the boys ended on a high note. They along with the girls played hard all week and I know that they are looking forward to coming home,” the president of the American Samoa Handball Association (ASHA) Carl Sagapolutele Floor told Samoa News via email

 

“Hopefully we can get this game of handball really rooted into the schools and have clubs around the island. With the way these kids played this week, I think this will be the perfect game for the young athletes in all of Samoa,” said Floor. “

 

Floor told Samoa News that the ASHA would be partnering with the American Samoa Athletics coach Valusia Talataina in the upcoming athletic training seminar.

 

“It is very important for us to support each other. Since there is so much running involved in handball, it makes sense to learn the basics of running as well,” said Floor. “Seeing the athleticism in our kids this past week, I am sure that we also have some diamonds in the rough here in the ASHA.

 

A big thank you goes out to all of those who had us in their thoughts and prayers and we will see everyone when we return,” he said.

 

Floor ended by saying he hopes to see a big turnout to greet the young American Samoa handball players when they return tomorrow. “They did a fantastic job in representing American Samoa on the handball court and everyone should be proud of them. I know I am,” he said. Samoa News will be bringing the final standings of each country’s team that played in the tournament this week in Monday’s Sports edition.