A charitable foundination named after former  ASNOC President Lealaifuaneva Peter Reid has donated $25,000 (£16,000/€22,000) to the organisation which will be used to develop a new training facility and gymnasium due to be finished by the end of this year. 

"This will allow us to start our project," ASNOC secretary general Billy Young told Samoa News. 

"This is something we are really short of - sporting facilities for our youth to train at, to get to the next level.

"I know once this building is up and going, the youth will really benefit from it."

The donation was made at the ASNOC headquarters by Olivia Reid-Gillet, Reid's daugther.

"The ASNOC has always been very important to my father, especially when he was President," she told Samoa News.  

"The youth of Samoa, have been and continue to be a priority for him.

"So he is very pleased to be in a position to provide some sort of assistance to provide the proper facilities in order for our athletes to train adequately so that they can be exceptional representatives." 

A donation from former ASNOC President Lealaifuaneva Peter Reid is being used to build a new facility to help develop the country's youngsters ©Facebook

Meanwhile, ASNOC has launched its new Team American Samoa as part of the countdown to the Pacific Games, due to be held in Port Moresby between July 4 and 18.

The ASNOC plans to send more 100 athletes and officials to the Games, including in basketball, bodybuilding, boxing, golf, rugby, softball, swimming, table tennis, tennis, weightlifting and volleyball. 

It is estimated that it will cost $2,000 (£1,300/€1,750) to send each athlete and official to the event. 

So far, fundraising have included car washes, walk-a-thons and food sales. 

Since the Pacific Games were first held in Suva, Fiji, in 1963 American Samoa has won a total of 153 medals, including 41 gold, making them the eighth most successful country in the event's history.

But in the last Pacific Games, held in Nouméa, New Caledonia, American Samoa failed to win a medal. 

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