Samoa anxiously awaits medal confirmation

SAMOA – All of Samoa is anxiously awaiting the International Olympic Committee’s official announcement to award the rightful silver medal that belongs to Ele Opeloge for her outstanding performance at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

None more anxious than the chief executive officer of the Samoa Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (Sasnoc), Fa’amausili Taiva Ah Young.

Faamausili spoke to the Samoa Observer about the process Sasnoc is going through in regards to the medal presentation to Opeloge in conjunction with theInternational Olympic Committee (IOC).

Sasnoc is still anxiously anticipating a call from the IOC to officially confirm Opelopge’s Olympic medal.

Once it is confirmed, Sasnoc will negotiate with the IOC to bring the medal to Samoa for a presentation to it’s rightful recipient in its rightful homeland.

“I’m not sure but I heard that in the past, a presentation which was done similar to this situation was actually done in the athletes home country. Let’s all hope that it will be the same.” Ah Young said.

“Personally, I would love to see a huge celebration. We deserve a huge celebration for that. It depends what the IOC is planning. We might be asking for the presentation to be done here but they might say it has to be done in Switzerland. “

“So we need to negotiate on that, but at the moment, we would love to see the presentation done here.”

“We hope it can come in as soon as it can. Because a lot of people are very anxious about the whole thing. So it’s good to get it done with and move on. “

The only thing standing in the way of the momentous occasion is the IOC’s official ruling on the case.

“The International Federation for Weightlifting has already given their endorsement. But once that is done, it goes to the IOC, for the final clearance or official announcement and that’s what we’re waiting for, patiently and anxiously. “

Everyone wants to know how the government intends to celebrate such a historical event for Samoa. There are even rumours of a possible public holiday.

Ah Young said he could not confirm anything.

“That’s going to come from the government. That’s really a cabinet and prime minister’s decision, not ours.”

Ah Young said Sasnoc has not reached out to the Opeloge family as of yet as it is awaiting the final confirmation.

“I haven’t spoken to the family, we’re just waiting. I think it’s a good thing to wait until everything is confirmed. Then we can talk to the family knowing the fact is there.”

“We would love to see Ele being brought here, if it’s going to be here. It all depends on what the IOC wants. Then it’s just a matter of negotiation.”

- Samoa Observer