Pacific Senior cricket tourney underway

By Deidre Fanene 03 June 2016, 12:00AM

Age is only a number. 

And that what’s you’ll experience at the Tuanaimato Cricket fields this week.

A tournament being held there sees teams being divided into different islands of Samoa.

Tiumalu Jeffery Clarke said this is the first time a Pacific Senior’s Cricket Championship is being held in Samoa.

“We have 7 teams from Australia plus our own local teams with some old and new players to cricket but few of our players are involved with cricket before when we initially got setup in Samoa,” he said.

“We had Ross Bryce from Australia who approached us last year if we’d be interested in hosting a tournament for the over sixties and this is the result.

“This association has been in Samoa since 1996 however this is the first time an event like this of the over sixties is being held here but we’ve had cricket tournament held here but this is the first time this is being held here.”

Tiumalu said that this event is good for the economy of Samoa as the players are retirees who have a lot of money to spend in the country.

“What’s good about these guys is that they bring a lot of money for the economy, they are all retired and they are here for the love of cricket,” he said.

“There is no prize because they are playing for the love of the game but there might be trophies at the end but there is no cash prize for this tournament.”

Tour Director from Australia Derek Braidner said the tournament is held here because Samoa is a young developing cricket country and they wanted to come here to improve the development of the game.

“We wanted to go somewhere exotic to play cricket and we decided that Samoa is one of the exotic country in the world and everyone the preferred to play not just cricket at home but we like to travel a lot.

“[And] when we travel we would like to play cricket when we can.

“Now Samoa is a young developing cricket nation and we wanted to come here and try to do some good things, we wanted to come and help coach the children, we want to provide some help Samoa develop its cricket further and we especially we wanted to come and have a good time.”

Ask if there was a winning prize for the tournament Mr. Braidner said the winning prize is having the honour of being the pacific champions.

“We have teams from all over Australia, team from New Zealand and a local team as well,” he said.

“So for the next seven days we are going to play cricket 5 days out of the seven and then there will be winners of the Pacific Seniors Cricket Championship at the end of the tournament.

“There is no money prize but it’s more of the Olympics it’s the honour of winning which is the most important honour of all.

“This is an inaugural event and this has never been held anywhere in the world before as this is the Pacific Cricket Championship.

“This is the first time and we would like to think that the Samoan government and the Samoan Cricket Association wanted to get behind it to impress tourism and also to bring this group of people who has got money.

“These are not twenty years old who wants to come and sit in front of a TV these are retired people whose got money and that is very good for the Samoan economy.”

The tournament will end next week Tuesday.

By Deidre Fanene 03 June 2016, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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