SAUNOAGA AUTU A LE PALEMIA-AFIOGA FIAME NAOMI MATAAFA I LE TATALAINA ALOA’IA O LE SAILIGA SIAMUPINI O ALOVAA MAMAO A LE FAALAPOTOPOTOGA ALOVAA FAAVAOMALO ASO TOONAI, (12 AOKUSO[...]

O lea ua mae'a ona momoli lapalapa o malo aua la tatou taulaga o le viiga ma le faafetai i lo tatou Atua, e lau susuga i le Faafeagaiga, Reverend Dr. Latu Latai. Ou te talitonu o so'o se faamoemoe e momoli i le Atua lona amataga, e manuia ma taunuu i matagofie.

O paia o lenei taeao aua le afifio o Minisita o le Kapeneta, Sui o Malo mai Fafo, Faauluuluga o Pisinisi Tumaoti, sa velo 'aso i lenei faatufugaga, aemaise kapeteni ma au taaalo uma mai atunuu i fafo o le a tauva mai i lenei faamoemoe, o lea ua poto i le afioaga o Alo Sina ma le Fuaifale o Salevalasi, ma le mamalu i le Faletolu ma le Vainalepa. Faamalo le soifua laulelei.

Ou te manatu, o le a momoli le tatou upu i le gagana peretania ona o le toatele o le tatou mafutaga e autova'a mai atunuu i fafo.

Talofa lava to all the distinguished guests and dignitaries from the 26 International Vaa Federation who have graced our shores to participate in the World Distance Championships. We are fortunate to be your hosts for this international sports event and we extend a warm welcome to all of you athletes and supporters alike.

Let me take a moment to thank Reverend Dr. Latu Latai of the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa of the Apia parish for seeking divine blessings on all our behalf and for this event in particular.

I also acknowledge the place in which we are congregated in the heart of Apia, the capital of our beautiful Samoa; on the land that is under the traditional custodianship and oversight by the governing council of the Apia village.

To all the organizers and administrative staff of the tournament welcome to Apia and Samoa, the cradle of Polynesia.

The World Distance Championships is popularly supported by our Government and across the wide range of our community stakeholders. Thank you for contributing to and lending your support to this event.

The Government of Samoa and its people are proud to have taken the lead role in supporting this auspicious event, through the provision of the Are Matahina fleet of six-man va'a from Tahiti, as well as the locally produced fleet of one-man va'a seen out on the ocean today.

This World Distance Championships, will be run based on three distance categories of:

Twelve, sixteen and twenty-four kilometers

Two types of outrigger canoe will be utilized:

• The one-man outrigger canoe or Va'a, known as the V1 and
• The six-man Va'a, known as the V6.

There are two formats of the World Championships that are hosted by the International Vaa Federation in consecutive years. This year the World Distance Championships, are being held here; and was preceded by the World Sprint Championships held last year in the United Kingdom

The inaugural World Distance Championships were held in Tahiti, French Polynesia in 2017 followed by the 2019 event hosted by Australia. The bid to host the 2021 Championship was won by Samoa but has only been held this year due to the global impacts of COVID-19.

Once again welcome to all our visiting teams and supporters and it gives me great pleasure to declare the IVF world distance championships Samoa 2023 open!

GOD BLESS AND SOIFUA.

[Link] August 16, 2023

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