SAMOA REPRESENTATIVES QUALIFY FOR PARALYMPICS GAMES 2008

The Arafura Games 2007 in Darwin Australia was officially closed on 19^th May 2007.

The Arafura Games this year brought together 2500 able and disabled athletes from 30 countries to compete in 23 sports events.  This year for the first time the Northern Territory hosted the Oceania Paralympic Championships within the Arafura Games.  The event is endorsed by the International Paralympic Committee as one of the qualifying events for the Paralympic Games in Beijing 2008.

Samoa was represented by 2 Paralympic athletes, Mose Fa’atamala and Mapu Eseese.

Mose Fa’atamala won 2 silver medals in the long jump.  One medal for the Oceania Paralympic Championship and one for the International event for Athletes with a disability.

Mapu Eseese won the bronze medal in the Shot-Put event for the Oceania Paralympic Championship.

Both Athletes are now qualified to compete for Samoa in the International Paralympic Games in Beijing 2008.

The Samoa Paralympic Committee wishes to acknowledge the support given by our Government, Seb & Renes Health Attack Fitness Centre.  More importantly, we would not have been able to part take in the Arafura qualifiers had it not been for the support and generous contribution from our major sponsor Digicel.