APIA, Western Samoa -- Now that some of the world's pre-Olympic showcase events have been completed, the South Pacific Games begin a quiet, two-week run Monday.
In the quiet setting of this island nation, some 2,500 athletes from 20 Pacific islands will vie for awards in such traditional Olympic events as track and field, boxing, basketball, boxing, volleyball and weightlifting.
But that's not all. The athletes also will compete for titles in lawn bowling, lawn tennis, netball, rugby, soccer, table tennis and golf.
The games, conceived in 1961, are held a year before the Olympics. The first gathering in 1963 drew 770 competitors from 12 countries.
For the most part, athletes from the South Pacific Games have not found much success on the world level, but several have gained international reputations.
Among the javelin finalists at the 1972 Munich Games was Lolesio Tuita. Two more javelin throwers, Petelo Wakalina and Penitio Luti, and shot putter Arnljot Beer have gained reputations in France as national champions.
What one has to remember is that South Pacific athletes, in most cases, trained under the most trying and sometimes primitive conditions, without expert coaching and inadequate training facilities.
Touching human interest stories also have emerged from the games.
Western Samoa's Paul Wallwork overcame almost total paralysis by taking up weightlifting to strenthen his legs and arm mus:les. In the process, he progressed to a point where he won the Australian national title as a student at Sydney University. An invitation was extended to him to represent Australia at Munich.
But Wallwork denied himself a chance to compete against world-class weightlifters because he did not want to renounce his Western Samoa citizenship.
That's the thrust of the games for most -- the emphasis is not on world records or meeting Olympic qualifying standards, but on competing.
'It's friendly competition,' said one Fijian. 'Many of us will return to our homelands with having gained experience in participation, but the most important point as far as we are concerned is having shared a part of our heritage and culture with our Pacific neighbors.'
This year's South Pacific Games also take on an international flavor. The modernistic 1,000-seat capacity gymnasium which will be used for indoor events was planned in conjunction with technical experts from China.
Western Samoa's limited visitor industry facilities also will make it an interesting experience for those taking in the games.
Athletes and officials will be housed in educational complexes, but with only about 300 hotel rooms available islandwide, the South Pacific Games Organizing Committee has worked out an agreement with government officials to house spectators in Samoan households during the games.
Prominent, distinguished Samoan families -- many of them High Chiefs - will provide meals, lodging and even a fia-fia (Samoan parties) or two.
A travel spokesman said, 'Limousines, electric blankets, high-rise hotels and television may be absent, but all venues have been screened for hospitality, cleanliness, dependability and security.'
