Local businessman and naturalised Samoan citizen, Frankie Cai, is among Team Samoa's table tennis players at the Harvest Center in Lotopa.

Samoa Team manager, Fusi Coffin, said Frankie was a veteran Samoan table tennis player, who helped revive the table tennis sport in Samoa, after a few years absence.

"Well we all know that the Chinese are always the experts in table tennis, so that's why we're glad to have Frankie back into the team  though Frankie also wanted to help our team Samoa be make a hit at the Pacific Games this year," she said.

Mr. Cai was the only medal achiever for Samoa in 2007 winning a silver medal for Samoan table tennis team.

Other than that, Mrs. Coffin said she was proud of Samoan team's first performance on the field yesterday, which as expected is based on the period they trained for and their experience.

The team comprises of 13 players: 7 males and 6 females in a whole. Three of the players are Leififi College students, who are having their first experience in the table tennis competition at the Pacific Games level.

The team went to China for four months training according to Mrs. Coffin and has improved since then. 

"There is massive progress in the teams' performance after they got back from China and although the sport in new to most of the players, I can see that they are already in love with the sport," she said.

"The association is looking into making setting a path for the majority of the youth players who are already interested in table tennis in the future."

Although Samoa has lost but they were top in ranking or points in the match against New Caledonia according to the team manager, she is confident towards the results for her team based on their performance.

"Win or lose, the goal is to get table tennis back on track for Samoa and to improve and instil in the youth generations in the future after the Pacific Games," she added.

Samoa's first match against New Caledonia resulted to New Caledonia winning.