10/27/2019
The members of the Samoa Deaf Rugby Sevens team were given a massive boost on Friday when they met with the Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi at his Office.
The team travels to Fiji next month to compete in the Oceania Rugby Sevens Tournament, where there is a category for Deaf Rugby.
Manu Samoa and Manu Sina Sevens teams will compete in the same tournament but different categories.
For some of these boys, this is the first time they had ever met the Prime Minister of the country. The meeting, according to them was an inspiration.
“All these boys have never met the Prime Minister before,” said General Manager of the Nuanua O le Alofa (NOLA), Mataafa Faátino Utumapu. “Just being in his Office with him made a huge impact on these young men. They are now all fired up to do well in Fiji and give Samoa a good chance of winning the Oceania.”
The Samoa Deaf Rugby Sevens team is made up of young men who have hearing impairment. They are all members of the Deaf Samoa Association, which is under the NOLA Umbrella. NOLA is the national advocacy group advocating for the Rights of People with Disabilities.
Mataafa accompanied the team to the meeting together with team head coach, Taemanutavaé Ponifasio Vasa, DAS President, Josefa Sokovagone and interpreter, Marie Enosa.
NOLA had been the driving force behind Samoa’s efforts to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the People with Disabilities (CRPD). Samoa signed the CRPD in 2014 and ratified in 2016.
Article 30 of the CRPD encourages Participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure and Sports for people with disabilities.
Tuilaepa emphasised the importance of inclusivity in any sports and encouraged the members of the Deaf Rugby Team to represent their country with pride and passion.
The team had been fundraising on their own for sometime now but are still short of the amount needed to get them to Suva.
The team had asked the Government for financial assistance, and the Prime assured them that Cabinet will discuss their request for assistance.
Mataafa said afterwards that it was encouraging to see the leader of our country making time off his very busy schedule to meet and greet with their team.
The team leaves for Fiji on the 4th of November.