American Samoa is the southernmost territory of the United States of America in the world. It is located in the Polynesian region of Oceania, approximately halfway between New Zealand and Hawaii. With a population of approximately 45,000, American Samoa’s closest neighbour is Samoa at just 64km away, and it also lies in close proximity to Tokelau, Tonga and Cook Islands.
From 14-20 June, American Samoa’s capital city, Pago Pago, played host to a visit from Ocean Belrose, one of the ITTF-Oceania Development Officers. The visit was an Olympic Solidarity Course, organised through a cooperation between the American Samoa National Olympic Committee and the Oceania Development Program.
Across the one-week visit, focus was on:
- Conducting an ITTF Level 1 Coaching Course.
- Conducting a come and try session.
- Conducting a tournament.
This was ITTF-Oceania’s first visit to American Samoa in more than 10 years. Table Tennis in American Samoa is in a development phase and the next generation needs to be nurtured to ensure ongoing participation and progress; it is hoped this visit will provide the impetus for the next steps to be taken. American Samoa National Olympic Committee have set a target of participating in table tennis events at the 2027 Pacific Games, which would be a positive step forward.
ITTF-Oceania thanks the Secretary General of the American Samoa National Olympic Committee, Mr. Ethan Lake, and his team for their excellent help in organising and managing the visit. ITTF-Oceania also thanks ITTF for their ongoing support of the Oceania Development Program. This visit to American Samoa was the sixth Oceania Development Program initiative in 2026 and we look forward to many more initiatives throughout the year.