Western Samoa May

Win Gold Medal For Basketball

From R. F. Rankin, in Apia Western Samoa’s women’s basketball team is the only Samoan team likely to win a gold medal at the South Pacific Games, according to a local basketball official—and a good

many other knowledgeable sports

followers in the territory agree with her. However, there might be some surprises at individual

sports, particularly running.

OUR basketball team is easily the best we have produced yet,”

Mrs. Ene Sofara, a selector, said in mid-July.

“Basketball has been improving every year and this team is much stronger than the Samoan team which made a very good showing in Fiji about four years ago.”

Mrs. Sofara said the team was particularly strong in attack. In the final trials before selection, goalie Sialafua scored 16 times out of 17 attempts.

There were 19 teams in the senior basketball competition in Western Samoa this year and the sport is growing stronger every year.

Although the standard in rugby has been steadily improving and the Samoan team could surprise, officials are not predicting any easy vtctories.

“It’s not a bad team,” says selector coach Mr. H. A. (Ash) Levestam.

“but I am afraid we might be out weighed. Average weight of the for wards is 14 stone and of the whole team about 13 stone 10 lb.”

Mr. Levestam said that he and fellow coach Gordon Lorimer were concentrating on fitness and team work. The back line was very fast and had several really outstanding players, but some experts saw a weak ness in the inside backs. The for wards were fit, tough and mobile, Mr.

Levestam added.

Referee's View New Zealand international referee R. Forsyth, who refereed a couple of main games in Samoa earlier this year, claimed that the best Samoan club teams were on a par with any club team in Taranaki, his home province and the home of a number of All Blacks.

In men’s volleyball and basketball.

organiser Sam Atoa says: “We are going in as the underdogs, but we could surprise.”

The team is largely made up of schoolboys. In inter-island basketball matches with Tutuila, honours have gone either way and no superiority has been established.

Volleyball was introduced by the Latter Day Saints Mission about five years ago and is now extremely popular in the villages. The team expects to do better in volleyball than basektball.

Although athletics is only in its infancy in Samoa, some quite im pressive talent has already been un covered.

Coach Bob Batchelor, a former field star in the US, makes the follow ing predictions based on this year’s performance figures from other terri tories: Shotput, second or third; women's discus, second or third; men’s 1,500 metres, first; women’s 800 metres, second or third; hop step and jump, second or third; and women’s relay, second or-third.

Tennis Chances Slim Western Samoa’s tennis team has been weakened by sickness and by the fact that two top women players are representing the country in basketball.

However, even at full strength the team is only of the standard of a strong country or suburban club in New Zealand.

The men are strong natural players and will give any competitor a good game, but only one of the women players is above the generally poor average.

In short, in tennis. Western Samoa seems to have little chance of reaching the finals.