The American Samoa Teqball Federation hosted a national promotional event as part of its ongoing efforts to grow the sport in the country. As COVID-19 restrictions begin to ease on the island, over 200 participants (mostly aged under 23) attended the public event, with the federation and clubs leading the training sessions and activities.

The federation was established in March 2020 and has since received official recognition from the country’s National Olympic Committee (NOC). The President of the federation is the NOC Secretary General, Mr Ethan Lake, who has led the engagement with FITEQ to ensure the country benefits from FITEQ’s National Federation and Club Development programmes.

Teqball was first introduced in American Samoa in 2019 after the federation’s leadership witnessed exhibition matches at the Oceania National Olympic Committee (ONOC) General Assembly in Fiji. The American Samoa Teqball Federation was formed soon after and there are currently 20 Teq tables being distributed to different areas of the island.

The promotional event gave young people the chance to learn more about the sport as the federation begins to introduce more regular opportunities in the post-COVID-19 world. The federation plans to launch a summer youth league and it is in the process of recruiting volunteers to coach and officiate, who will be able to gain practical knowledge and official qualifications through FITEQ’s online education portal.

Teqball is on the rise in Oceania, with Guam, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, the Cook Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu all actively growing the sport in their country. FITEQ is encouraged with the progress being made in the region and will continue to provide support and guidance to all National Federations throughout their teqball journey.