Another day of celebration as the torch relay continues on Savai'i
The third day of the XVI Pacific Games torch relay on Savai’i has blocked the roads as people chanted hymns and followed the baton.
The people from the villages of Vaisala leading onto Sala’ilua used pots and buckets with spoons and sticks to make noise and they cheered as the torch passed by.
Some ran alongside and grabbed onto the torch together with the torch bearers.
There was so much energy in the atmosphere. The smiling faces of the torch bearers from the different schools along the route said it all and elderly people in wheelchairs also watched the festivities.
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A lot of the students following the torch were running barefoot and, for them, it was the best experience they have encountered.
The event was live streamed on Facebook.
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Day 3 of the Samoa 2019 Pacific Games was another colourful celebration
Falealupo, one of the villages on the northwest of Savai’i, had all the strong men of the village wearing the Samoan traditional tatau or tattoo run alongside the torch.
They chanted cheers in support of American Samoa, their adopted country for the in-school programme that is led by the Ministry of Education Sports and Culture.
The excitement caused cars passing by to stop alongside the road and stirred the curiousity of tourists to run out from hotels to witness the event.
The relay continues on Savai’i for one more day, Thursday 27 June.
With 11 more days before the Games the opening ceremony on Sunday 7 July, the preparation by the people of Savai’i and the support of the community, together with the teachers and students, is a snippet of what the athletes and officials can expect during the Samoa 2019 Pacific Games.
Pelasio Ualesi, Station Officer from the Samoa Fire and Emergency Services Authority, who is ensuring the safety of the people during the torch relay, has never seen anything like it.
“I've never experienced anything like this,” he said. “It blows your mind to see how this torch relay could ignite the passion in the children and our people. The response of the community is something I can’t fathom. Regardless of their age and their busy schedules, they left everything to be involved in the torch relay. I feel so proud of our people and their support.”
