The Fist of Fury

By Ulafala Aiavao

WESTERN Samoa is banking on Fist of Fury Sililo Figota to spearhead their ring assault in next month’s South Pacific Games in Papua New Guinea.

At 25, he is a slightly built light

middleweight with an appropriately happy-go-lucky personality. But that’s where the Mr Nice Guy bit ends.

Figota is a ferocious fighter with a record to boast. He has been based in Auckland since 1986 where he held a job as a timber worker. He gave up his job in 1989 to train for the Oceania championships where he won the gold medal for New Zealand. But when it came time for the Commonwealth Games last year, the Kiwis told Figota to drop weight to welter. He refused, insisting he’s a natural light-middle, and fought for Western Samoa winning the bronze.

Western Samoa named six New Zealand-based fighters in a 10-member games squad. The rest come from Apia, Western Samoa Amateur Boxing Associ ation secretary Heber Fatupaito said: “Our main competition at the Games will be from Tonga and Papua New Guinea. In the lighter categories, PNG has older boxers, while we have younger ones there. Western Samoa should domi nate the boxing events, especially the heavier weight classes from welterweight

to super-heavyweight.”

It will cost the boxing association WSS 18,000 to send the four Apia-based fighters and officials to Papua New Guinea, By late July they had raised WSS6OOO. The New Zealand-based fighters are arranging their own travel expenses.

The South Pacific Games in Port Moresby and Lae is from September 7 21. Western Samoa is confident of doing well. But trying to fing the money to send the country’s games contingent has become a major headache. By late last month, team managers were hoping to compete in at least 12 sports.

Cost estimates for sending Western Samoa’s contingent ranged from WSS3OO,OOO to half a million Tala money the sports bodies do not have.

Parliament approved an unprecedented sports fund in July of W 55250,000 to cover overseas tours by national sides, but this money must be shared with teams heading for other cventts such as the Rugby World Cup in October.

A planned radiothon in August is expected to add to funds collected through numerous rallies, walkathons, flower selling and food stalls.

Despite the money obstacles, local athletes are keen to mix it on the field

against their re gional rivals.

High hopes are pinned on the net ball, boxing and

weightlifting

squads.

The netball team, over shadowed for years by rugby in terms of visibility and sponsorship, rose from 19th seed to number eight in the world at the Sydney Net ball World Cup in July. It was the first time the Sam oans had com peted in the World

Cup.

In weightlifting, an international rule change will enhance Western Samoa’s final medal tally.

Until a few years ago, lifters won only one medal if they had the highest total from two types of lifts the snatch, and the clean and jerk. But now a lifter can win three gold medals in his class if he has the highest weight for the snatch, highest weight for the clean and jerk, and highest

combined total.

The rule change, introduced in time for the Tonga mini-Games in 1989, helped the Samoan contingent sweep the medal tally in Tonga.

Western Samoa’s weightlifting coach is Bee Leung Wai, who won gold medals at the 1971, 1975 and 1983 South Pacific Games. “We’re likely to get most of the gold or silver. But we won’t dominate as

before because Papua New Guinea and American Samoa are coming up,” he said.

Of the 10 lifters that W estern Samoa would like to send to PNG, three are based in New Zealand, and one, Jerry Wallwork, is based in Aus tralia and trains with Nauru’s Com monwealth gold medalist Steve Marcus under Austra lian trainer Paul Coffa.

The weight-

lifting squad has about WSSSOOO of the estimated 5W525,000 they need to travel to Papua New Guinea. Sponsorships will help but the number of officials and lifters will be reduced if they cannot find the money. If that happens people like Figota will come greater pressure to get the gold. □

Fist of Fury: Figota and Emerio Finu'ulua with Commonwealth bronze