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Big numbers expected to take part in Samoa Games

Up to 1700 athletes are expected to take part in the relaunched Samoa Games next month.

The event was last held a decade ago but is but is being revived in an attempt to address the country's poor performance at the Olympics, Commonwealth and Pacific Games.

CEO of the Samoa Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee, Fa'amausili Taiva Ah Young, said research showed there was not enough competition locally to prepare elite athletes.

"That was how we decided to have a competition. In actual fact we now have three competitions: one is in April, one is in June and the main one is the Samoa Games."

"There is a need to have ongoing competitions to create that competitiveness with athletes..,so basically we're trying to encourage people to realise that there's a lot of Olympic sports that aren't being played here in Samoa. Once they learn about it then they can have choices whether this is the sport that they want," he said.

Fa'amausili said they are expecting about 1000 athletes to take part in the event in Upolu and 6-700 in Savai'i.

The intention was to hold the Games on an annual basis, with an event for primary students in April and an Olympic day for secondary school students in June.