With already strong support and partnership with the Lolo Administration as well some in the private sector, American Samoa National Olympic Committee president Victor Langkilde says such a relations “in working together” will help achieve the important goal — to develop and train local athletes.

Partnership and support of ASG and the private sector was among the issues highlighted during the ASNOC membership meeting last Friday, said Langkilde adding that it was the first meeting of the year, and it was very important that ASNOC and its membership convene to discuss the year in review, the annual report, as well as finding out the working of each sports federation, competitions and training last year and in 2015.

And then “highlight of course our partnership with the government and private sector as well as any assistance from them,” he said during a Samoa News interview on Saturday. He acknowledged two new financial contributions to ASNOC, the first being a $50,000 grant from the National Veterans Sports Programs and Special Events. The grant provides funding to, among other things — plan, develop, manage and implement such programs for military veterans.

“This grant will assist with another area of sports with our disabled veterans. The ASNOC would like to assist in all of the different areas of sports development at all levels in the territory,” Langkilde told Samoa News. “Our mission and aim is to change the norm and be more involved. This work will allow us to also continue to bring people together, build resources, and work towards team success.” (See Samoa News edition Feb. 2nd for details of the grant.)

The second contribution — of $25,000 — was a donation from the Lealaifuaneva Peter Reid Charitable Foundation, that was presented last week to ASNOC, by Olivia Reid-Gillet, the CEO of GHC Reid & Co., on behalf of Foundation named after her father.

Langkilde said it has been such a blessing working with Reid-Gillett, her father, and the Reid family, adding that the Foundation has been “so wonderful and fantastic with donations over the many years to assist our community.”

The $25,000 donation will help develop the property in Tafuna that ASG has leased to ASNOC and the funds are “going to further help us execute and materialize this project, which we hope to have it up this summer, no later than the end of the year,” he said, adding that the facility inside the property will be named after Lealaifuaneva Peter Reid, who is an avid sports man — known as a good softball pitcher, a good tennis player — “but I think we remember him most for his work on the rough seas as the skipper for the Aeto [fautasi]” of Pago Pago.

“We now have a good partnership established with the Foundation,” he said. “And the ASNOC is so fortunate to have now a very strong relationship also with Governor Lolo and his administration and the private sector.

“I believe that successful things can come to fruition as long as we remain faithful and committed to the cause for our athletes in the program. I think success is on the horizon but we can only accomplish that if we work together,” he pointed out.

UPDATE GOVERNANCE

Langkilde went on to point out that one of the major items on the agenda meeting last Friday was the discussion of “renewing, revising and updating our governance.”

Last year, officials of the International Olympic Committee and the Oceania National Olympic Committee visited NOCs across the globe including the Oceania region. The officials were in Pago Pago in the latter part of last year.

Langkilde said part of the visit was look at “improving governance” with in all NOCs and one thing that ASNOC “hasn’t quite done yet is to revise, the article and their governance” documents.

So a draft of proposed changes were put forth to sports federations for their review,  participation and discussion of areas that they feel might be accepted or change and so forth, he said, adding that federations are given 30 days to get feed back.

“It’s very important sports groups provide feed back. Once we can come to an agreement with this draft and accept it, then it will be sent to the IOC for their review and approval,” he explained. “Once it’s approved that document comes back and that will be the new revised governance document for the American Samoa National Olympic Committee.”

Perhaps the one major proposed amendment in the draft is having the post of secretary general be selected and to be a paid job. (See Samoa News edition Feb. 2 for details).