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Ceremony wows Team AS

[photos: Ashgabat 2017]Team American Samoa along with Chef de Mission Herrietta Molesi and Press Attache Terry Auvaa before heading over to the Ashgabat Olympic Stadium for the opening ceremonies of the 5th Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games Sunday Sept.17th, 2017 (Photo:Terry Custodio Auva'a)7179 Wrestler Iafeta Vou performs a war dance much to the delight of the athletes and volunteers in front of the building complex where all of the Oceania teams are situated. Iafeta was bombarded later on with multiple photo requests as the team made their way over to the line up point for the Athletes parade for the opening ceremonies of the 5th Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games Sunday Sept.17th, 2017. (Photo:Terry Custodio Auva'a)Team American Samoa as they are escorted over to the Ashgabat Olympic Stadium for the start of the Athletes’ parade into the opening ceremony for the Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games Sunday September 17th, 2017. (Photo:Terry Custodio Auva'a)
Team A.S. Press Attache

Ashgabat, TURKMENISTAN  — For two and a half hours team American Samoa sat totally enthralled by the music, lights, costumes, 7,500 performers on stage and in the air, 65 horses, 34 camels, and one dog as the telling of Turkmenistans story opened the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in the most fantastic way imaginable.

“Wow”, was the most common comment when our athletes were asked for a response after the opening ceremony.

Samoa News coverage of the games is brought to you by Carl’s Jr.

Before the ceremony, while getting ready to line up with other nations for the Athletes’ parade into the stadium, the American Samoa contingent was bombarded with requests for photo opportunities with members of not only other Oceania delegations, which are housed together with the American Samoa team, but other nations as the team walked towards the line up area.

Our team “Manaia” Iafeta Vou who was dressed up in a cultural outfit of Siapo, ula nifo, fusi and sei fulumoa, with Samoan oil glistening off his body was stopped every few steps by athletes and volunteers, male and female, wanting to take a photo with him. The bright pink and black Elei uniform worn by the American Samoa Delegations was also a showstopper. 

Daniel Heleta Misaalefua was American Samoa’s flag bearer.

Team AS was proud and humbled by the interest and response they attracted.

 “This is even better than the response I got when I did the same thing at the Asian Youth Games in China” Vou exclaimed. He was all smiles as he posed for photo after photo.

“It was an honor getting a photo with the refugee athletes who are also competing at the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat! We were proud to get a lot of country reps smiling as we wore our colors and traditional wear with awesomeness,” said American Samoa wrestler, Zena Iese.

Team American Samoa will start competition Tuesday Sept, 19, with American Samoan sprinter Isaac Silafau competing in the 60m. Silafau competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the men’s 100m race.  The rest of American Samoa’s Athletes who are part of the wrestling team will start competition Sunday September 24.