Games success Samoa’s moment

With the 5th Commonwealth Youth Games done and dusted, the man entrusted with the task of getting Samoa ready for the event is a relieved individual.

Vitolio Lui is unwinding this weekend, thanking everyone in Samoa for playing their part in making sure the Games were successful and memorable.

“It was a great experience and a worthy challenge,” he said. “The impact on the economy can only be positive.”

The Games brought to Samoa nearly a thousand athletes and hundreds more supporters, officials and support staff.

“The infusion of money through contractors to ordinary workers, suppliers and wholesalers, caterers, hoteliers and accommodation providers, restaurants, taxis and transport industry and airlines.”

Mr. Lui also believes that the event has o provided the inspiration and motivation for the young people of Samoa to dream big.

“The opportunity that was given to the youth and athletes of the nation to play and mix with the best in the Commonwealth World and from sixty five countries and cultures of their own age group would be priceless,” he said.

“ Th is shou ld provide our young people with the inspiration and motivation to dream big and work harder at their talents because if other youths from developing nations just like us can soar high so can we.

“In particular when we have sporting facilities that are not only better than most developing countries but also comparable to even those in the developed world.”

Mr. Lui said the colleges who made their facilities available for the athletes played a key role. “We made substantial repairs and improvements to the buildings and facilities for those colleges that we used as villages. “That will remain as a legacy of the games for the students studying there for the immediate future and medium term.”

Asked how much was spent on the event, Mr. Lui said it has not been finalized.

“It is too early to say as we are still paying out the rest of our contractors and other costs,” he said.

“However, we expect to have our accounts finalized properly within the next two months.”

Mr. Lui acknowledges the support of the people and also the government.

“Accomplishing what we did was a team effort involving not only the hardworking staff behind the scenes and the limelight, but the community in general, businesses and sponsors, students and schools, the government and sports organizations.

“It was great to witness this event.”