DATE & VENUE: Apia Park Sports Complex, 4th March 2021
Reverend Semikueva Faatoafe
Ministers of Cabinet
Your Excellencies
SASNOC President and CEO
Heads of Government Ministries
Football Samoa President and Executive Committee
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
Talitonu o lea ua motu i vasā le su’iga ula nai le papa, ua mae’a foi ona e totō le niu i le tuaoi ma momoli lapalapa o Malo, auā le Atua ma lona alofa tausi mai ia i tatou i lenei taeao. Malo mo upu faamalosi ma upu faalā’ei’au. Ia faamanuia tele le Atua i lau Susuga i le Faafeagaiga.
E faatalofa atu i le Paia ma le Mamalu ua potopoto mai i lenei taeao. E i ai le manatu o outou Paia, Sa ma Faiga o le a nu’unu’u atu faatini o Tausala. Ae talu ai ona o lo o filogia la tatou mafutaga i lenei taeao, aemaise le faafofoga mai o le Asosi Soka i le Lalolagi po’o le FIFA, lea e maua mai ai tupe e atina’e ai le taaloga soka isi o tatou atunuu, o le mea lea o le a momoli ai le tatou lauga, ma le tatou aisiga i le gagana faaperetania, e tuuina atu ai se upu a le Malo e faatatau i lenei atina’e.
Today’s ground-breaking ceremony, for the REDEVELOPMENT OF PART OF THE APIA PARK SPORTS COMPLEX by the Football Federation Samoa, shows the Government of Samoa’s continued commitment to the development of sports in the country. The Strategy for the Development of Samoa, reflects the Government’s commitment to ensuring that all Samoan’s have a good quality of life, through the work of the various Sectors of Government. Sports is cross-cutting across Priority Area 2 which is Health, Education and Community Development, but also under Priority Area 1 Economic development for tourism and private sector partnership. The priority Government accords sports is due to the belief that the growth of sports from grassroots through to the youth and beyond, will lead to a healthy and prosperous nation, thus achieving the vision of the Governments Strategy of Accelerating Sustainable Development and Broadening Opportunities for All. The Government also has in place a National Sports Policy, under the Ministry of Education Sports and Culture which outlines areas to assist Samoa, to reach its full potential at all different sporting levels.
This Redevelopment Project, is not only in line with the Government’s strategic direction for Sports, but it is also very timely given the need to continuously add to and improve sports infrastructure, facilities and equipment in the country. As you are all aware, Samoa, without reservation, came to the rescue to host the XVI Pacific Games in 2019. As you would recall, 26 sports were contested with football being one of them. Samoa’s ability to host, with limited preparation time, was due to the fact that, it had well-developed sports facilities – the Tuana’imato Sports Complex already place. Therefore, when Cabinet was approached by the Football Federation Samoa in late 2019, for this land and part of the Apia Park Sports Complex, the full support of Government was stamped. With a year of planning, feasibility studies, approvals and securing of funding, the occasion today is to mark the beginning of an $8 million Project, the biggest sporting project undertaken by any sports body in our country and is fully funded by FIFA, for the development of Football Fields and Facilities within the Apia Park Sports Complex vicinity. This project will add to the existing national headquarters and Stadium, another impressive development at the time.
At the completion of this project, it will have three (3) full size football fields, with an additional three (3) mini football pitches, solely for the use by youths, but it can also be used for small game training. The main field will be of international standard and can be used as a second venue, for international football games. The football fields will be used as a multiparty facility, that can accommodate all other types of sports, with football primarily using these facilities. This development will enable Samoa to continue to host all Football Events in the Region.
As alluded to, the total cost of the project is circa $8 million Tala, and is fully funded by FIFA. This clearly shows the commitment of not only FIFA in Samoa’s potential, but also other donor partners in providing our youths and future generations, with the opportunity to sharpen their skills, with the availability of international standard sports facilities. In addition to this, the OFC, which is the Regional Body of FIFA for the Region, will also provide funding for this project.
The Samoan Government acknowledges with appreciation, the continuing support and commitment from FIFA towards the development of football in Samoa. Over the years, FIFA has continued to provide the necessary financial and technical support to enable the federation to develop the sport in the country. FIFA’s continuing support to the Government of Samoa is Public Private Partnership at its best, with members of the National Sports Organization, Government Ministries, Non-Government Organisations, Private Sector, International Donors and Partners, working together to develop Sports in the country and has clearly shown, we can collectively work together to shape and design a system, or a sports sector that works for everybody, right from grass roots up to the elite level.
As Patron of the majority of Sports in Samoa, I would like to also stress the importance of Good Governance. The Samoan Government works to ensure that good governance is applied across all sports and sporting bodies. In the past, practices of poor governance have been demonstrated in both national and international sporting organisations, which have greatly hampered the development of sports, due to the mismanagement of funds and territorial personnel. It is for this reason, that the Samoan Government have put in place the necessary mechanisms with pro-active sporting bodies, to ensure good governance. And by doing so, it will ensure that sports in Samoa will reach its full potential, not only benefitting individuals, but Samoan society as a whole, by maximising on the efficiency and effectiveness of resources made available to sports.
To end, I would like to reiterate the Samoan Governments appreciation to FIFA, and it is the Governments hope that this support will continue into the future. I wish the President, the Board and Staff of Football Federation Samoa all the best in your efforts to maintain the support rendered by FIFA, so as to ensure the continued growth of football in Samoa. And most of all to ensure the successful completion of this major undertaking, which will bring in more sporting opportunities and events to Samoa.
To our development partners present here today, I thank you for your continued support, into the various areas of development in Samoa and we look forward to continuing our close working relationship.
Ia alofagia e le Atua lenei atina’e ma lona fa’amoemoe mo Samoa ma ana fanau mo le lumana’i. Agalelei le Alii i lenei fa’atasiga i ona tulaga fa’alupe, e amata mai lava i mauga tetele seia paia mauga iti.
Soifua ma ia Manuia
