Samoa sets bar high for Solomon Islands

By Soli Wilson 14 July 2019, 1:00PM

The Samoa XVI 2019 Pacific Games archery competition has set the bar high for the Solomon Islands which will host the next edition of the Games.

Solomon Island's team manager for archery, James Kana said their team has been able to experience and learn a lot from Samoa during the competition.

He said the competition in Samoa has enabled them to understand more about the sport and the challenges which they will need to work on before the event. 

"So for us as a team we get a lot of positives, yes of course there will be challenges here and there, but overall I see that with this program, it will hopefully help us to upgrade and understand more," he said. 

"And also our archers, they get the opportunity to experience in the international event and working with other countries that came here for the archery competitions and also of course learning from Samoa." 

Solomon Island's archery team comprises five archers and two administratives, including two female archers who made it as far as quarter finals. The team competed in both the mixed and individual competitions.

Kana said it is his first time in Samoa as well as his first time to lead a team of five archers into an international competition, and the competition in Samoa was played at an international level. 

"How the event has been organised, previously we can see that the things are organised whether in normal standards and whatever the Pacific is able to prepare, but now you can see that the level is up to international standards," he said.

"We have judges who came from Australia and New Zealand, we have the lighting and all the different technical stuff that we use for archery, and this is really is a very high benchmark that’s been set."

With facilities, equipment and event organisation at world class standards, Kana said Samoa has set the standard which they will look to and work from there. 

"And as a team coming in from Solomon, we’ve definitely learned a lot as we prepare for 2023 in the next four years."

If Samoa could prepare for the Pacific Games in a matter of months, then he said time should not be an issue with their preparations leading up to the 2023 Games.

"I’ve experienced a lot and huge and many things that I will definitely take back to Solomon."

By Soli Wilson 14 July 2019, 1:00PM

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