Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Three events which have occurred at the ongoing Olympic Games in Paris, France have provoked sadness, disbelief, disgust and disappointment by the president of the American Samoa Boxing Association (ASBA) Paepaetele Mapu Jamias.

In a telephone interview Monday, Paepaetele spoke of the three events, the first of which was his expressed sadness with the sudden passing of the Samoa national boxing coach Lionel Elika Fatupaito at the Olympics Athletes Village in Saint-Denis, Paris on Friday.

He recalled that Coach Fatupaito was passionate in his efforts to promote and develop the current generation of boxers and firmly believed that a close collaboration with our association would help to revive the sport and regain our reputation as powerhouses in the Pacific region like how it was in the past.

The ASBA president said the last time he met Fatupaito was last November during the 17th Pacific Games in Honiara, Solomon Islands.

“I extend my deepest condolences to his family, friends and the Samoa Boxing Association for their loss,” said Paepaetele.

Fatupaito coached, mentored and managed top heavyweight boxer Ato Plodzicki-Faoagali, gold medalist at the 2023 Pacific Games, Samoa’s only boxer and favorite at the Olympics, at the time of his death.

Subsequently, Plodzicki-Faoagali lost his heavyweight bout against Victor Schelstraete of Belgium who left him “bleeding from the cheek” as reported by RNZI.

The 25-year-old Samoan boxer who turned professional last year but managed to maintain his amateur status long enough to make him eligible for the Paris Olympics told the media, the death of his coach had left him struggling mentally.

It was revealed in reports from Paris that Plodzicki-Faoagali had received some help from Papua New Guinea boxing coach Peter Morrison.

"I was thinking about pulling out ... it's been hard," Pacific Games champion Plodzicki-Faoagali said. "It's been hard to stay strong. I've been struggling mentally the past few days. I thought I was going to win a medal for sure, but it's been really hard mentally. I don't care about the medal right now.”

In an emotional post on his Facebook page, the young boxer thanked his family, sponsors and the whole country who had supported him from the beginning.

“Losing my friend and national coach, arriving so late to acclimatize, and mentally it took its toll. As much as I wanted to pull out of the games, but I did not want to let Samoa, coach, sponsors and family down,” he said. 

“Samoa, I gave it what I could honestly, it wasn’t my best, but I fought my heart out for you! Alofa atu & Faafetai for all your love and support for me and most importantly showing your love to coach Lionel. Thinking of you coach, wish you were here in the corner today.”

According to an official statement from the Samoa Association of Sport and National Olympic Committee (SASNOC) reported by the international media, 60 year-old Fatupaito died due to a heart attack last Friday, ahead of the opening ceremony.

The second event, Paepaetele spoke of was the 2024 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony event that sparked outrage from Christians worldwide who denounced the event claiming it was a mockery of the famous painting by Leonardo Da Vinci entitled “The Last Supper” which refers to the final meal that Jesus Christ shared with His 12 disciples before He was crucified.

Da Vinci’s depiction shows Jesus at the center of a long dining table sharing a meal with His disciples.

This scene supposedly was recreated in the opening ceremony but Jesus is replaced with an obese woman wearing a halo around her head, while drag and trans figures (including a child) depict the disciples.

A French actor appeared as the Greek god Dionysus, naked and painted blue with a string of flowers covering his private parts.

Christians around the world who witnessed the event were outraged and have branded it as blasphemous, disgusting, disrespectful, an abomination, satanic, pagan and every kind of vile description in the English language.

It was reported on social media that the organizers of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 have issued an apology to those who were offended by the parody reenactment of the canonical Last Supper event.

However, French director Thomas Jolly, who oversaw the opening ceremony show, explained that the scene was Dionysus arriving on a table and that it was meant to be representative of the gods of Olympus celebrating the Olympic Games. The origin of the games is Greek.

ASBA President Paepaetele added his own take on the matter.

“It was sick, shocking and insensitive, and should have never been allowed to happen,” a disgusted Paepaetele said with force. “I can’t help but wonder what this world is coming to.

“The situation triggered by this ridiculous transgender ideology is affecting communities, national sports associations, governments and now the most prestigious international sports platform!” he stated.

Paepaetele explained that he refers not only to the offensive parody of Christ’s Last Supper but also the latest controversy regarding male athletes claiming to be “trans women'' and allowed to compete in women's sports.

The first much publicized case involved American transgender swimmer William Thomas who identified as a woman, changed their name to Lia Thomas and was allowed by the US Swimming Association to compete in the women’s competition.

In 2022 he ranked 65th in the men’s category but first in the women’s category when Thomas became the first openly transgender athlete to win a national championship beating Olympic silver medalist Emma Weyant who came second.

Thomas was later disqualified and banned by World Aquatics, the world-governing body for swimming.

This same situation has now happened with boxing in the Olympic Games involving two male boxers who claim that they “identify” as women and want to compete in the women’s boxing category.

Imame Khelif from Algeria reportedly failed testosterone and gender eligibility tests by the International Boxing Association (IBA) last year, and was disqualified before a gold medal bout at the women’s world championships in New Delhi last year.

The second boxer Lin You-ting of Taiwan lost a bronze medal also in last year’s New Delhi championships over a “biochemical test for gender eligibility.”

However, despite their IBA disqualifications, the International Olympic Committee has cleared both boxers to fight in the women’s category in Paris.

According to international media reports, the IBA is not involved in the Olympic boxing competition and it is run by individuals selected by the IOC.

“When will this stupidity end?” ASBA President Paepaetele asked. “Boxing is the most dangerous of contact sports in the Olympics and now they are letting men with inherent superior strength compete with women!

“This is preposterous! I cannot believe this has been allowed to happen at the competition considered by many athletes as the pinnacle of international sporting events. The IBA should seriously consider severing ties with the IOC. 

“They should investigate all the officials who will be officiating in the Olympics boxing competition and if there are any affiliated with IBA, they should be banned from any future IBA-sanctioned boxing event.

“This transgender ideology is simply ridiculous and its acceptance by people who are in management positions in international organizations like the IOC just blows my mind!”