Samoan boxers Ato Plodzicki-Faoagali and Marion Faustino Ah Tong have secured their place at the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.
Samoan boxers Ato Plodzki Faoagali and Marion Faustino Ah Tong both won gold medals at the 2019 Pacific Games. Photo: Supplied
Samoa has now qualified eight athletes for the July Games, which were delayed by 12 months because of the Covid-19 pandemic, including two in weightlifting, two in canoeing and one each in sailing and discus.
Team Samoa Chef de Mission, Nynette Sass, said the Samoa Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee had worked hard developing local sports so athletes could qualify for international competition.
"There was the opportunity also under the tripartite placings which SASNOC I think admitted applications for six athletes. Four of those athletes was for boxing," she said.
"Now that our guys have qualified under their own merits we've lost that opportunity with the tripartite but we're not worried about that, we are just excited that the boys have made it under their own merits."
SASNOC CEO Tuala Mathew Vaea and Tokyo Olympics Chef de Mission, Nynette Sass. Photo: Supplied
Plodzicki-Faoagali, from Tuana'i and Siumu, is a 22 year old heavyweight based in Sydney while Ah Tong, from Luatuanu'u, is a 20 year old lightweight who won the 69kg welterweight division at the New Zealand Boxing Championships in January.
Both men won gold at the 2019 Pacific Games.
"Marion is training in New Zealand under Cameron Todd and Ato is training under his father and also supported by Ronnie Sinclair of Focus Boxing," explained Sass.
Team Samoa still hoped to qualify additional athletes in swimming and rugby sevens.
