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Veterans Memorial Stadium now the site of boxing and wrestling training

Executive Director for the Sports Complex Toleafoa Henry Tavake is inviting those who wish to learn the 'sport of gladiators' to come out to the Veterans Memorial Stadium where he trains local fighters who dream of someday becoming world champions.

 

Toleafoa has over 30 years experience in the sport of boxing.

 

“I have the ring set up along with some other equipment, and we're expecting more equipment soon,” he said, adding that the training is under the supervision of the American Samoa Boxing Association (ASBA).

 

Toleafoa stated that he would like to thank the Department of Youth and Women’s Affair (DWYA), who helped sponsor and donate equipment to the club. “The DWYA has helped out so much,” he noted. “The Criminal Justice Department has also given a helping hand as well, since I deal with ‘at risk’ kids. We even have some kids that are training in the boxing gym just to get into shape.”

 

He said that they will be having their grand opening soon not only for the new boxing gym that is located inside the stadium located on the west end of the field, but that day will also be the grand opening for the Ca-Boom Wrestling Club that is training wrestlers at this time inside the building located on the east side of the field.

 

“The grand opening will be soon. I have to get everything set up first. I invite the public out on that day, which will be in the near future,” Toleafoa said.

 

According to Toleafoa, the training is free and the gate continues to be open so the public can come out and use the track to walk and exercise Monday through Friday.

 

The Ohana Running Club also trains at the stadium as well. It is currently training local youth for regional and international competition such as the Oceania Games, Pacific Games and the Olympics.

 

At this time, Toleafoa is training one professional fighter. Alapati A’asa has one professional fight under his belt and that came during his debut professional fight last year in Samoa during Samoa’s 50th Independence Day Celebration Boxing Tournament in which he won in a close split decision. (Samoa News stated this earlier this week that A’asa had lost his professional debut fight, however, according to Toleafoa, A’asa won his professional debut fight, which was against Saipeti Asiata of Samoa.)

 

A’asa will be making his next professional fight at the end of this month — May 31 — again, during Samoa’s Independence Day Boxing Tournament.

 

“We have all of these things going on at the stadium for everyone to take part in. All you have to do, is just come down,” said the executive director for the Sports Complex.