The Deaf Association of Samoa on Tuesday held a team-building focused event at the Matagialalua Friendship Park which saw participants engage and interact in a variety of sporting activities. 

Gabrielle Apelu from local non-profit organisation Apelu Sports highlighted the need during the activities of ensuring "no one is left behind" as the participants got into their team-building activities. The activity at the park catered for over 35 participants from the Samoa Deaf Association .

"We are quite honored to be specifically asked by the Deaf Association to actually take their physical activity and sports day, its recognition that they trust us and want us to be a part of their daily activities," said Ms. Apelu. 

"Part of our duty of care in sports is ensuring that no one gets left behind and specifically for our deaf community. 

"Today was designed to reflect on that so that each and everyone of them feel included due to the fact that they are all at different levels of sportsmanship and athleticism".

The activities were created to ensure that it included everyone and that they could also participate in all the events. They participated in a lot of team-based activities.

Melissa Leota of Tulaele, who is the President of the Deaf Association of Samoa, spoke to the Samoa Observer on the day's event saying that it was such a great program for the association's members

"We were so happy have these sports games, we are usually discriminated from sports and other outdoor activities, but today was exciting for us because we have the chance to come together and play different fun games like volleyball and dodgeball," Ms. Leota said.

She shared on the difficulties that they all face at home, where they were excluded a lot from such activities, and was grateful for Apelu Sports for hosting and running the activity.

The participants described their participation at the activities as a great experience for them and they are grateful for the interpreter who helped through the day. They added that it helped them build their confidence and they enjoyed a lot of the fun activities together. The activities were another way of learning for them in terms of interacting with each other. 

She also said they were people with disabilities and wished to be included in these kinds of activities in the community and even at the international level while pointing out that the deaf always want to interact and feel included as well.